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Anticipation...
It is 8:30 PM Wednesday and as I
sit here typing I am watching out the window diligently waiting
for the big storm to move in. How
much snow are we going to receive? That
seems to be the big question. Some
meteorologists say 3-5 inches, others say 6-10.
Either way it sounds as if we
might get lucky and get some type of accumulation.
At this point, I will take
anything that comes our way, preferably nice and wet.
I joined
many others this afternoon at the
grocery store stocking up on necessities. Funny
how there is such a sense of urgency about being prepared.
Hopefully we will not be
disappointed as in times past. I
know three children who are just dying for an opportunity to miss
school for a day or two. I must
say that I am with them in the sense that a little bit of snow
will make it feel more like winter. This
winter has been like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride.
It sounds
as if we are going to be getting some bitter cold temperatures
along with this system so bundle up and stay warm.
This might be a good time to
cuddle up with a few good gardening catalogs! Let
it snow, Let it snow , Let it snow!
~
Shelly
White Water...
Considering
how dry it's been this winter (over 60 days without
precipitation!) the snow on the ground is sure welcome.
Don't get complacent however. It generally takes 8 -10
inches of snow to equal just one-inch of rain. You can
maximize this snow's irrigating effects with a little extra work.
When you're shoveling the walks and driveway simply transfer that
snow to your garden beds. As it melts your gardens will
benefit from the extra moisture.
It's
Called A Blanket Of Snow After All...
In addition to its moisture content that
snow brings some other benefits to your gardens. Fluffy and
light, freshly fallen snow is an excellent insulator. Its
millions of tiny air pockets hold warmth in the soil around
snow-covered plants. So when the air temperature falls
into the single digits tomorrow your white-blanketed garden beds
will remain a relatively
toasty 32º. That added protection may
be the difference between death and survival for plants of
borderline hardiness.
A Heavy
Load...
Certain evergreen shrubs, such as yew, juniper and arborvitae
(northern white cedar) have a tendency to accumulate snow during
snowfalls. The weight of the snow
bends the branches of the shrubs, and can cause breakage or
kinking. It is a good idea to
remove most of the snow on these shrubs to reduce such damage.
Do not, however, beat the shrubs
with a snow shovel or other implement. Doing
so will only cause additional damage.
Use
a broom or a brush and as gently as possible remove the snow from
the upper surfaces. Don’t be
alarmed if the shrub does not immediately rebound to its former
shape. It is likely that in the
spring, when sap is flowing through the shrub, it will recover
from any bending that may have occurred.
Source
Don't Forget The Birds!
It's hard enough for our feathered friends to
find food in the winter months. A blanket of snow makes it
especially difficult. Keep
your feeders full and you will be rewarded with beautiful garden
visitors year round. If you're interested in attracting specific
birds here are some popular birds and their favorite menu items:
Bird
Type |
Favorite Foods |
American Goldfinch |
Niger
thistle seeds, broken sunflower hearts, oil-type sunflower
seeds. |
Northern Cardinal |
Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn,
millet, other seeds, unsalted nutmeats, raisins. |
Black-capped Chickadee |
Oil-type
sunflower seeds, cracked unsalted nutmeats, safflower,
suet. |
Dark-eyed Junco |
Red or
white proso millet, finely cracked corn, oil-type sunflower
seed, unsalted nutmeats. |
Grosbeaks |
Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn. |
Mourning Dove |
Oil-type
sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet, safflower,
cracked corn, wheat, milo, other seeds. |
Native Sparrows |
Red or
white proso millet, oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked corn,
some safflower. |
Woodpeckers |
Suet,
unsalted nutmeats, sunflower seeds, cracked corn. |
Source
Snow and
Ice Removal...
So, how long before this snow turns into
something a little less desirable, like ice? Well, with
Thursday's low temperature expected to drop below 10º we expect
ice to be a problem pretty quickly. This will have many Savvygardeners trying to de-ice their walks and
driveways. But what to use? There are a number of chemicals
that will help melt the ice but they have very different
properties. To reduce damage to lawns,
plants, and sub-soil root systems try to use as little as
possible - just enough to break the bond between ice and walkway
or driveway surface. Here
are the most common de-icing agents available:
-
Calcium chloride (CaCl) is available in flake, pellet, or
liquid form and often outperforms other deicing products
especially at lower temperatures. Harmful to plants.
-
Sodium chloride (NaCl) also known as rock salt was first
used as a deicer in the 1940's. Loses most of its
de-icing effectiveness when temperatures are below 25º.
Harmful to plants.
-
Potassium chloride (KCl) is a naturally-occurring material
that is also used as a fertilizer. Because of its high salt
index and the potential to burn foliage and inhibit rooting,
its use is relatively limited. Less harmful to plants than
sodium chloride or calcium chloride.
- Urea
(NH2CO NH2) is synthesized from ammonia and carbon
dioxide. It is primarily used as a fertilizer. As a de-icer,
it has a lower burn potential than potassium chloride.
-
Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is a relatively new
salt-free melting agent made from dolomitic limestone and
acetic acid. It causes little damage to concrete or plants and
is used as an alternative to salts in environmentally sensitive
areas. May not be available in retail
stores.
Finally... "I
frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow to
keep an appointment with a beech-tree, or a yellow birch, or an
old acquaintance among the pines." ~
Henry David Thoreau |
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