Spring is in the Air
Can you feel it?
In what has been one of the most unusually warm winters ever in the Upper Midwest, Spring is on the cusp of launching a new growing season. Heck, I was putting straw and manure down in our family vegetable garden yesterday. The ground is thawed; pasture grasses are greening up. Most trees are showing visible buds. And, unmistakably, joyfully, at dawn there is a chorus of birdsong.
Are you ready for Spring?
According to climatology records, the current temperature departures — degree day units — show that 2024 is already running 28 days ahead of schedule. While that sounds great, there are possible downsides to the warm weather. Most crucially: there will come a time when Nature rebalances and temperatures fall below average. That could be damaging for a variety of plants, shrubs and trees. And especially, for gardeners who got all over-eager and put plants in harms way.
For now, the best advice is to keep the gardener’s powder dry. Don’t get carried away. Keep an eye on the calendar. If it says mid-March, then enjoy the warm sunshine by reading a book or sharpening your tools. In a couple of weeks, when it actually is April and we’ve gotten some moisture, and there are crocuses and hyacinths poking up, then maybe it will be time to mulch or make beds or plant potatoes. Not now.
The best thing to do now is to imagine, dream and design what you want to do in the garden once Nature gives the big okay. Bare root trees and shrubs? Yes, if they are available, order early, and if you can get the shovel in the ground, a plant in dormancy will love waking up in a moist, warming soil. That’s a sure bet.
The old saying is that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is right now — whether hot, cold, wet or dry. Studies are confirming what has long been believed about the power of trees: they change landscapes, they change climates, they impact rainfall and they impact lives. Dig in to the research and it tells quite a story. Trees are human beings greatest allies, from food to moisture, from insect habitat to soil health, from wealth accumulation to aesthetics, trees clean the air and literally create oxygen, while making life better in myriad ways.
The time is always right to plant trees because they are so incredibly valuable. This early spring gives us an incredible opportunity: to take our time, walk the yard and imagine what trees should go where. There is no rush this year. Our eyes can take the time to see the landscape free of snow, free of leafed trees. We have the joy of being able to imagine a new addition to the yard and the exact best place have it emerge.
