Signs of Spring

Yes, we've officially turned the corner from winter to spring. What are your favorite signs of spring?

• The return of songbirds. Perhaps the winter birds were singing, too, but with all the doors and windows shut, and the hood of my coat pulled up, I couldn't hear them.
  






• Once the snow melted, clumps of worm castings dotted on our moist lawn and gardens. A great sign that our soil is getting aerated and fertilized.
  








• Plant life begins to quietly resurrect.
  



• Bugs, critters and creatures.
  







• Early spring bulbs.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


• Pussy Willows.
  
  
  
  
  

• Tiny green shoots emerging through the damp soil.






• Buds on the fruit trees and lilacs.
  
• The explosion of color of Forsythia in bloom.
  





• April Showers.

As we muck through mud season, please share your favorite signs of spring here on our blog.

"Spring would not be spring without bird songs."

- Francis M. Chapman

Stink Bugs

Stink bugs are one of the slowest moving and peskiest pests. Sure, our home has seen greater numbers of ladybugs; but ladybugs are smaller and cuter, and don't smell badly.

Harmless Pests...As with many pests, stink bugs aren't native to America. They were found around 1998 in Pennsylvania. It is believed that they were accidentally introduced from China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Without their natural predators, they now thrive throughout the United States. Few of our local critters will eat them; their flavor must be an acquired taste.

It's all in the Name...Stink bugs are from the Pentatomidae family (penta for their five-segmented antennae). They have two common names. Some people know them as shield bugs since their backs are covered with a scutella (skyoo TEHL uh) that resembles the shape of a shield and protect their body like one. However, most of us know them for their more memorable trait: the vile odor they emit when scared or squashed. Their strong odor contains cyanide compounds and may linger more than six months. Caution: some people may get a rash from the smelly secretions of stink bugs.

Their offensive odor serves a few purposes. This foul smelling liquid secreted from glands between the first and second pair of legs (their thorax), is pungent enough to deter predators. It also works as a welcome sign to their friends that our homes are cozy.

Give Me Shelter...As soon as nights start to cool in the fall, stink bugs begin searching for warm, bright places to stay. On warm days, they will venture outside, only to slowly return as the temperature drops again. Once winter sets in, they may hunker down in your attic or find a cozy wall space. Their winters are spent in semi-hibernation, not feeding, breeding or doing any harm. Once temperatures start warming up in the spring, they will eventually find their way outside. If they are unable to find their way inside a warm building, stink bugs will spend their winter in rock crevices or under tree bark. Homes nestled among the pines (or spruce, hemlock or fir) are prime targets since stink bugs prefer their sap.

Keep them out...When temperatures drop, stink bugs will try to get into your home. They are attracted by warmth and light. Deter them by closing curtains at night and using fewer outside lights.Since stink bugs can sidle their way into a space as narrow as the thickness of a dime, seal up all the cracks you can with silicone caulk. Especially around windows, doors, utility entry points and other openings. Torn or damaged screens should be mended or replaced.

Keep it clean...Chemicals aren't an effective control when it comes to stink bugs. Insecticides will only kill exposed stink bugs, but will not prevent more from entering the room once it is aerated. Not to mention that, although a nuisance, stink bugs are mostly harmless, can you say the same for insecticides? Remember that organic pest controls aren't necessarily non-toxic.

Proliferation. Like many other species, adult stink bugs mate in the spring. Females then lay clusters of eggs beneath plant leaves. While the young are maturing through five stages in three months, they will dine on any plants nearby. Stink bugs don't eat the plants, they suck their sap which weakens them and malforms buds and fruit. Their favorites include: honeydew and any other type of fruit and berries, tomatoes, beans, corn, peppers, okra, and cabbage.

Think stink bugs stink? Deter them from your garden by growing plants that they think stink. Known as companion planting, this is an easy way to discourage them from their (and your) favorite plants. Stink bugs dislike:

• Catnip (unless kitties visit your garden)
• Garlic
• Marigold
• Mint (if you can keep it contained)
• Radish
• Tansy

Now that you've discouraged them from your garden, lure them further away by planting decoys of their favorite plants. In addition to being attracted to yellow flowers, some of their favorite plants include:

• Buckwheat
• Millet
• Sorghum
• Sunflower
• Triticale

Get them Out...I admit to “freeing” spiders and lady bugs, rather than squashing or flushing them. With stink bugs, it is definitely in your best interest to rid your house of them quickly, without smushing or scaring the stink out of them. Note to self: vacuums scare them.

While researching this article, I came across some additional interesting solutions for dealing with stink bugs:

"...grab them with a tissue and flushing them away, but that always seemed so wasteful. Recently, my friend was telling me about her daughter's Venus Flytrap and I thought about how I hadn't seen one of these plants since I was a kid and I wondered how I had never owned one of these oddballs. I've started dropping the stink bugs into the container and it's working out beautifully. The plant came in a plastic sleeve with a cap so if the stink bug doesn't immediately hit an open pod that slaps shut on it, it can't escape forever. No mess, no fuss, and it's very quiet. ...I like the idea of the plant eating the bugs for a change.Posted by kitselo PA

Put dish washing detergent and vinegar and some water in a small glass. Flies and gnats are attracted to this and will drown themselves. I brush the stink bugs into the glass. Posted by rhodyman z6 PA

Drop them into a fish tank. The fish love them and my passive little guppies and mollies act like piranhas when they get a stink bug treat. Posted by jiggreen zone 6b, carlisle PA

Sometimes we catch them and feed them to the turtle. Posted by craftlady07

Like our local ladybug population, remember that stink bugs are harmless (other than their odor and quantity) to our families, pets, and homes. They don't sting or carry diseases.

Article Compiled by Renee Brannigan

Sources include:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pagard/msg101628188305.html

http://www.bugspray.com/article/stink bug.htmlhttp://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/brown-marmorated-stink-bughttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brown_marmorated_stink_bug

"The sun was warm but the wind was chill.

You know how it is with an April day.

When the sun is out and the wind is still,

You're one month on in the middle of May.

But if you so much as dare to speak,

a cloud come over the sunlit arch,

And wind comes off a frozen peak,

And you're two months back in the middle of March."

- Robert Frost, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926

Late Blight

Report courtesy of Floral Notes Newsletter

Late blight, caused by the fungus Phytophthora infestans, is a very destructive and very infectious disease that killed tomato and potato plants in gardens and on commercial farms throughout the eastern U.S. during 2009. As a result, many farmers across Massachusetts lost their tomato crops and incurred extra fungicide and labor expenses. While late blight is a problem on farms each year, the occurrence of late blight in 2009 was different compared to most seasons.

In 2009 it was the earliest the disease was reported over such a broad region of the country. More problematic for the Northeast, was that infected plants were distributed through large local retail stores throughout the region (Ohio to Maine). Never before has such an extensive distribution of infected plants occurred. This distribution, the exceptionally contagious nature of the disease and the cool, wet growing season all contributed to a disastrous year for farmers.
Garden retailers can help prevent the spread of late blight in gardens and on farms this growing season and provide customers with the facts about this disease.

Tomatoes. Late blight is not seedborne (however, it is tuber-borne in potato), so tomato plants started from seed locally (in the Northeast) would be free of the disease. Growing your own transplants from seed or purchasing from a reputable local grower will ensure a healthy start to the season for your customers and local farms. Disease-resistant or tolerant varieties of tomatoes exist, however seed is in limited supply this year. ‘Mountain Magic,’ ‘Plum Regal,’ and ‘Legend’ are three varieties with resistance or tolerance to late blight. Note that the variety ‘Legend’ has been grown primarily in the western U.S., where conditions are different than here.

In addition to late blight, each year tomatoes become infected with early blight and Septoria leaf spot, which look very similar. If possible, garden retailers can also offer tomato plant varieties that are resistant or tolerant of early blight; these include ‘Mountain Fresh,’ ‘Mountain Supreme,’ and ‘Plum Dandy’ and others.

Potatoes. Purchase certified, disease-free potato seed from a reputable source, and ask your supplier about their source of seed and if it was inspected in the field for late blight. Potato seed from the Northeast are less likely to carry the disease.

Know the FACTS about this important disease and share the information with fellow gardeners.

• Potatoes that freeze or fully decompose will not carry the pathogen over winter.


• Tomatoes will not carry late blight over the winter, because freezing kills the whole plant.


• Tomato seed, even from fruit that was infected with late blight, will not carry the pathogen, so no need to worry about the tomatoes left behind in the garden or compost pile.


• Certain perennial weeds can become infected with late blight, but none of their above-ground tissues live through the winter.


• Late blight will not survive on tomato stakes and cages.

The biggest threat for overwintered disease is on potatoes. In the spring, gardeners need to inspect last year’s potato plot and any compost or cull piles for volunteer potato plants that might come up. If potato plants are found, pull them out and put them in the trash or destroy them. If tubers were infected and survive, then the late blight could grow upward from the tuber, infecting the stem and producing spores when weather conditions are favorable. These spores could then disperse to other tomato and potato plants.

During the growing season, pay attention to pest alerts to learn about whether late blight has been observed in New England, and what actions should be taken. If you or a customer suspect a problem, or to confirm a diagnosis, contact the UMass Plant Diagnostic Laboratory.

Photo galleries and other web resources:

• Late blight information and photos from Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.


• Regular updates on the situation and more information from the Department of Horticulture at Cornell University

Author Tina Smith is the Outreach Educator, UMass Extension, Amherst

Looking forward to Heirloom Tomatoes?

Heirloom Tomatoes are available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, flavors and sizes. Heirlooms haven't been hybridized. Although some of them are considered ugly, are prone to cracking, or lack disease resistance, you can't beat their FLAVOR!

Heirloom tomatoes are the real deal. Some seeds are descendants of plants grown a hundred years ago. From Wikipedia, here is an excerpt of the history behind one Heirloom Tomato:
"Brandywine: ...excellent flavor and somewhat clouded history. A large fruited pink (red flesh, clear skin) variety produced on vigorous potato leaf foliage plants, Brandywine was passed on from the Sudduth family to an Ohio tomato enthusiast named Ben Quisenberry. Many seed savers traded seeds with Ben, and Brandywine eventually became widely available. ...likely that Brandywine is a descendant of two similar (if not identical) varieties offered in the 1880s - Mikado (Henderson seed company) or Turner's Hybrid (Burpee Seed Company). Though several other tomatoes (Red Brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, and Black Brandywine) carry the name of "Brandywine" in part, any true relation between them is pure conjecture. In fact, Yellow Brandywine most closely resembles an old Henderson variety only fleetingly available in the 1890s named "Shah".
As with most garden plants, Heirloom cultivars can be acclimated over several gardening seasons to thrive in a geographical location through careful selection and seed saving.

Last years' winner for best flavor and early fruit was Moskvich a heirloom variety from Russia.
Be sure to try one or two of the varieties offered at Woodbridge this year.

What is your favorite Heirloom Tomato?

Please add your favorite to the comments below.


Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_tomato
If you're interested in learning more visit http://www.tomatoville.com/index.php. They "speak Tomato" and have information for beginners and enthusiasts alike.

A Bird Came Down the Walk, by Emily Dickinson

A Bird came down the Walk –
He did not know I saw –
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,

And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass –
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass –

He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all abroad –
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought –
He stirred his Velvet Head

Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home –

Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam –
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, splashless as they swim.

When the Red, Red Robin comes bob, bob, bobbin' along

Little Robin Redbreast

Sat upon a rail;

Niddle, naddle, went his head,

Wiggle, waggle, went his tail.

American Robins, with their distinctive reddish breast, are synonymous with spring. Robins, which are common in our yards in warmer months, begin reappearing from late February through early March to herald Spring's imminent arrival.

Interesting Robin Insights:

• Despite it's name, Robins are members of the Thrush family. Nostalgic for European Robins, early English Colonists named our American Robins after their similarly colored, yet smaller cousin.


• Although considered a harbinger of spring, Robins often winter in the northern states. By the end of August, most Robins have flown a bit south towards their winter homes; to return in February and March.


• Their winter roosts are mostly unseen, in evergreens in cedar bogs and swamps. They gather in large roosts up to thousands of Robins where they feast on seasonal berries.

• A true early bird: Robins are one of the first North American bird species to lay eggs, breeding shortly after returning to their summer home.


• Most of us have seen Robins bobbing across a lawn, pausing, cocking their heads, then munching on their next morsel. I have always thought they were listening for worms and grubs. The truth is that Robins' keen eyesight detects its prey's miniscule movements before pouncing and pulling them out of the ground.


• In addition to these delicacies, more than half of the American Robins' balanced diet consists of seasonal fruits and berries.


• Unfortunately, Robins carry West Nile Virus. Since they live with the virus longer than crows and jays, they spread it to more mosquitoes who then share it with us.


• Their territory covers an estimated 6 million square miles throughout North America.
  
• Hatchlings, thanks to quickly developing wings, gain their flight license in just weeks.
  
• Sadly, only about 25 percent of robin fledglings survive the first years.

• The oldest known wild Robin lived 14 years. Their average lifespan is just two years.
  

Habitat
Robins live in gardens, open woodlands, and agricultural land adjacent to grassy areas where they forage on the ground for invertebrates.

Breeding
American Robin's will breed in woodlands, open farmland as well as urban and suburban areas.

Robin nests are cup-like and made of long coarse grass, twigs, paper, and feathers. The female singlehandedly builds a new nest for each of her broods, then she smears it with mud and even cushions it with grass and other soft materials. In northern areas where the leaves are slow to appear, the first clutch is usually raised in an evergreen tree or shrub.

A clutch consists of three to five light blue eggs which the female incubates singlehandedly. The eggs hatch after 14 days, and chicks leave the nest a further two weeks later. All chicks in the brood leave the nest within two days of each other. Robins normally produce two to three broods during their breeding season, which lasts from April to July.

During summer, while the females sleep on their nests, the males gather in roosts. As the young robins grow and become independent, they too join the other males in the roost. The female adult robins will join them only after completing their nesting duties. Robins usually have two broods a season; but, in a single year, American Robins can produce three successful broods.

PREDATORS and Problems

The adult robin is preyed upon by hawks, cats and larger snakes, but when feeding in flocks, it is able to be vigilant and watch other birds for reactions to predators.

Brown-headed cowbirds lay eggs in robin nests, but robins usually reject the cowbird eggs.

Plummage
Both the male and female Robins proudly display their bright red orange breast, brown bill and legs. Female plummage is slightly less bright. Young robins are speckled brown which changes, once they molt during their second or third month.

Diet
Robins forage on the ground for soft-bodied invertebrates, such as beetle grubs, caterpillars and grasshoppers.

Although they won't enjoy birdseed or eating from a bird feeder. With patience, you may be able to lure Robins to a shallow container offering earthworms, meal worms, dried fruits and berries.

When the red, red robin
comes bob, bob, bobbing along,
there’ll be no more sobbing
when he starts singing his old sweet song…
~ Harry Woods

Their lovely song is sung by the male robins. They change their cheery carol throughout the day as they communicate, such as a warning when a predator nears. They also have a different song when a predator approaches their nest and another during winter.

Robins are among the first birds to sing at dawn, and often the last at night, too.

He rocks in the tree-top all a day long
Hoppin' and a-boppin' and a-singin' the song
All the little birds on J-Bird St.
Love to hear the robin goin' tweet tweet tweet
Rockin' robin (tweet tweet tweet)
Oh rockin' robin well you really gonna rock tonight

"Rockin' Robin" was written by Leon René under the pseudonym Jimmie Thomas
and first recorded by Bobby Day in 1958.

Because they often build nests that are easily seen, robins are loved by bird watchers and children. Robins are cherished symbols of spring as reflected in poetry and numerous songs.

Sources:

• http://www.birdhouses101.com/robin-facts.asp
• http://www.birdnote.org/birdnote-transcript.cfm?id=77
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Robin
• http://enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?allSpecies=y&searchText=robin&curGroupID=1&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=2
• eNature.com (request a free ringtone of the American Robin or other birds or beasts.
• http://birdsbybent.com/ch31-40/robin.html
  

Article compiled by Renee C. Brannigan

An excerpt from "The First Robin"

Few mont' ago it happen

dat I'm goin' walk aroun',
Getting' ready for de ploughin'

is comin' on de spring,
An' soon I wait an' listen,

for I tink I hear de song
Of de firse, de early robin,

as he jus' begin to sing.
It was very, very lucky

w'en de firse wan come along-
An you see upon your farm

dere is de place de robin stop,
For de way dat bird is yellin',

is enough to scare de dead;...
~ Dr. William H. Drummond.

According to Wikipedia and the author's wife, this was based on a Quebec superstition that whoever sees the first robin of spring will have good luck. When I read this, I had to smile. My grandparents were all from Canada, and my father speech resembles how this is written.
RCB