| |
1998 SPRING RIVALS 1987 AND 1977 AS EARLIEST ON RECORD
How "early" is this spring? One of the very earliest, based on records from previous springs.
Perhaps the earliest spring during this half century was 1987. Greg Spoden, a climatoligist with the Department of Natural Resources, told me that Lake Minnetonka's ice in 1987 left the lake on March 21, compared with April 3 this year. Average April temperature in 1987 was 53.5ƒF, compared with 50.6ƒF this year. The 1986-87 winter (Dec-Jan-Feb) averaged 21.7ƒF, compared with 21.9ƒF this year.
Another early spring occurred in 1977. I enjoyed reading about the 1977 spring in Jim Gilbert's Nature Notebook. Here are some of his notes from that spring, and my comparisons from the same days in April:
Jim Gilbert/April 26, 1977 - We normally look for the first common purple lilac flowers and first crabapple blossoms in mid-May, but both started blooming today. Forest areas are quite shady now that leaves have reached about one-third their mature size. Violets and wood anemone are in full bloom. Bees are buzzing around and visiting the fragrant white flowers of native American plum trees. Virginia creeper is leafing out.
Cliff/April 29 - I observed all of these early signs today in my yard and the surrounding woodland.
Jim Gilbert/April 30, 1977 - Ever since I began taking notes on plant development 10 years ago, this is the earliest spring I have recorded. Professor A. C. Hodson's (a University of Minnesota naturalist) 30-year record from 1941-70 points out that the spring of 1946 was the earliest he had recorded, but in looking through his records, I see that spring 1977 is even earlier.
A few entries from my Arboretum field notes provide more examples of how early spring is today: Sugar maples have finished blooming, seeds are forming and leaves are half way out. Bur oaks are blooming, and leaves are about one-fourth their mature size. Eastern redbuds have starting flowering.
Cliff/April 30 - That is precisely where my sugar maples, bur oaks and eastern redbuds are in development.
One of the joys of spring is the element of surprise. I was pleasantly surprised at nearly every step and turn during April and early May. One of those surprises occurred as I made a delightful discovery.
Two years ago, my son Fletcher (a forestry major) planted upwards of 150 Ohio buckeye tree seeds on our mostly wooded lot. Last spring and summer, he searched in vain for Ohio buckeye seedlings and we concluded the ubiquitous squirrels had dug all the seeds as a delicious taste treat.
A couple of weeks ago, I discovered an unusual 8-inch plant growing in a patch of pachysandra in my back yard. At first I wasn't sure what this multi-leafed plant was. Later, I was walking in another part of my lot and noticed two more identical plants. Then I realized these were Fletcher's Ohio buckeyes!
Now they seem to be appearing all over. At last count, I've found 23 Ohio buckeye seedlings. I'll have to move several away from my flower gardens, but most can stay right where Fletcher planted them.
What's an Ohio buckeye? It's botanical name is Aesculus glabra and it's native to the Midwest and hardy in Zones 3 to 7 (we're in Zone 4). It has handsome and somewhat unusual leaves (5-7 leaflets per 6-inch leaf) and 2-inch seeds in the fall that are prized by squirrels.
Ohio buckeye can grow to 80 feet but are not recommended as a yard tree because of the litter they produce and the problem of leaf scorch in late summer. Fletcher assures me the seeds he planted are resistant to leaf scorch because he picked them from the same "mother tree" that the University uses for propagation, and this tree has always been resistant to leaf scorch.
One of my greatest challenges this spring has been to practice patience. Based on the daily weather pattern, it felt like annuals could have been set outside in mid-April. The big question was whether frost would occur before the traditional "safe" date of May 15-20. On May 1, I finally gave in and potted a number of annuals started from seed in March with full recognition that frost was still possible. As of this writing (May 15), frost seems highly unlikely, so annuals can be set out. It turns out that annuals could have been set out in April! Most tender annuals don't put on much top growth during the first several weeks, but the roots begin developing and growth really takes off when nighttime temperatures warm.
Several reminders: Don't prune oak trees until after August 1 to prevent infection from oak wilt disease. We'll just have to cross our fingers concerning oaks that were accidentally pruned by Friday's storm.
Also, watch your white birch trees for birch leaf miner infestations, and spray trees that exhibit more than 30% infestation. Watch your spruce and pine for sawfly larvae. And follow all label directions when handling any chemicals.
|
|
|
 |
| |
|
 |
| |
PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
 |
 |
| |
|
