Well, it has sure been a cold, snowy winter. It has been many years since Kansas City has seen this much snow with consistently low temperatures. In light of recent conversations I have had with lots of people I am addressing two winter misconceptions that keep coming up. I am also sure that many of you are anxious for spring to finally arrive, so below are a few early spring ideas for things you can begin to do now.
Cold Winter Myths
Many people assume that the cold weather means there will be fewer bothersome insects this year.Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Bugs are safely burrowed underground in an inactive state. The primary weather condition that can impact insect populations is rapid fluctuations in temperature. A sudden warm up may trick insects into activity. A subsequent rapid and significant drop in temperature can cause significant trauma or mortality. The same goes for your plant material. As long as the temperatures stay cold, the plants should remain dormant and safe.
Some people feat that the extreme cold snap we had during the holidays is going to cause lots of plant mortality. Extensive damage to plant material is unlikely. The massive snow that fell just prior to the frigid temperatures will prove to be our saving grace. As any Eskimo will tell you snow makes a good insulator. This means the warmer ground temperatures were held in place by the snow, thus keeping the root zone warmer. As for tender new shoots, we may see some evidence of cold damage, but that remains to be seen. Hopefully the cooler weather that preceded the arctic blast sufficiently “hardened off” these exposed areas.
Spring Fever
Hopefully soon, there will be a few warm days in which we can get out and work in the yard. If you have spring fever and want to get out but are unsure about what to do, here are a few suggestions:
Cut back the native grasses to about 4 inches. If you have dormant grasses you have probably noticed the snow has smashed them and ruined any winter interest they may have provided. The job will be made easier if you tie the bunches up to hold them together before you cut them.
Till up planting beds to ease compaction. Doing this now and again just prior to planting will help increase root development and increase water absorption.
If you are anxious to get out and plant some flowers for color, but are worried about frost damage, I recommend pansies. These can be put out as early as March 1 and will bloom into June when temperatures begin to really get hot. They are very cold tolerant and will usually survive all but the coldest winters.