Carol Fisher-Linn
Is it time to get ready for spring cleanup in the Southern Tier?
Hint: If you haven’t paid your taxes, don’t pick up those rakes and shovels.
As Tamara Bacho at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Ellicottville reaffirmed for me today in a conversation about spring bees and other pollinators: “LEAVE THE LEAVES.”
The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation (www.xerces.org)* tells us this: “While you may begin to see bumble bees and ground-nesting bees emerge as flowering trees and shrubs burst into bloom, they still need cover during chilly nights and heavy spring showers … Meanwhile, last year’s leaf litter is still providing protection for both plants and invertebrates against late-season frosts. And butterflies’ chrysalides still cling to dried stems and twigs, waiting for the right time to emerge as adults.”
For those of you itching to get the rakes, shovels and trash bags out for your annual spring clean-up, please answer a few of these questions first. Are you still wearing warm socks and a warmer coat outdoors? If so, have a hot chocolate and park your shovel. Would you plant tomatoes now? Have your fruit trees stopped blossoming? If you can manage to wait until apple trees are no longer in bloom, then you should safely be in the clear from disturbing those pollinators that emerge a little later than the rest.” Finally, wait until your grass is properly tall before you mow to again protect the bees, fireflies, cicadas, and katydids that you enjoy all summer giving them ample time to propagate. If you MUST mow in spring, Mow Tall, and infrequently.
In a conversation with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County Executive Director, Kelly McDonald, she stresses that you leave your big cleanup until AVERAGE temperatures are over 50 degrees for 7 to 10 days. If you feel the need to clear out under trees and shrubs, do so, gently, raking only – no leaf blowers, but DO NOT BAG, instead just move that debris to an out-of-the-way area to give those pollinators time. Bag up later in spring after they have flown. Also, do not mulch until those temps are over an average of 50 degrees for ten days so you don’t suffocate the ground burrowing pollinators who aren’t ready to emerge. Wait. Truly, we can help with the current diminishing bee problem. Give them time. In summer, again per McDonald, she asks we consider mowing tall because lawns cut too short cannot tolerate drought (remember last year). Short-cropped lawns cannot self-cool and manage themselves in those conditions.
The Extension offers an extensive 12-week Master Gardener course beginning shortly. The for-fee class is presently filled but it is recommended that you call or go online and ask to be put on the waitlist. 716-699-2377 X106. After receiving training, these Master Gardeners help others learn to grow plants by providing outreach and education to their communities. Our Ellicottville site has a demo trial garden allowing Ellicottville to work with forty other Cooperative Extensions across NYS. Each plants the identical crops and compares notes throughout the season, helping to understand what works best in each of their areas based on weather, pests, etc. Incidentally, a Master Gardener focuses on which ecological methods produce a better garden much more so than producing a showplace garden of flowers and ornamentals, although both are possible. Check the extension website for periodical Master Gardener presentations open to the public.
The Seed for Supper program begins April 14 in the Salamanca High School Cafeteria. This CCE program along with Salamanca High School gives novice gardeners the skills to grow their own food on a limited budget. Register online at the Cooperative Extension for Seeds for Supper.
If you are interested in learning how to maximize the performance of your chainsaw, check out the chainsaw safety certification course offered this May. And another sign of spring: we have received word by the Ellicottville High School Trap Team’s Coach, Stan Grochowina that they are on the final leg of an eight-week area-wide competition. Having completed seven weeks, they are undefeated. Go Eagles! Stay tuned.
Meanwhile, resist the temptation of spring fever and leave critical habitat intact. Clean the gutters and place a rain barrel underneath for watering, do those taxes, clean the garage, and sharpen your tools. McDonald recommends that we put our rakes down and spend our time cleaning feeders and preparing for our returning hummingbirds and blue birds. They are on their way.
The Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County is located at 28 Parkside Dr in Ellicottville, NY. They can be found online at (cce.cornell.edu/Cattaraugus).
*The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation is an international nonprofit organization that protects the natural world through the conservation of invertebrates and their habitats. As a science-based organization, they both conduct their own research and rely upon the most up-to-date information to guide their conservation work. Their key program areas are: pollinator conservation, endangered species conservation, and reducing pesticide use and impacts.