Daffodil leaves emerge prematurely, teased from the ground by warmer than normal temps. (C) Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp
It may be the holiday season, but many gardeners are concerned about the gifts Mother Nature is delivering a bit early.
The unseasonably warm temperatures have teased viburnum, forsythia, magnolia, daffodil and other plants out of their winter dormancy. Leaf and flower buds have burst open, particularly on species that normally bloom in late winter or early spring.
What to do?
A very light mulch of leaves acts like a little blanket around daffodils and other bulbs, said Becky Heath, co-owner for Brent and Becky’s Bulbs (brentandbeckysbulbs.com). “It acts like layers of light clothing on humans, with those air pockets that help to keep the warmth in. Also, often it is the drying wind of winter that is harder on emerging leaves, more so than the temperatures alone,” she said.
Too much of a cover, though, will make the ground too warm and force the bulbs to grow even more, she said. Gardeners can snip off the tips of any damaged bulb leaves in spring, but only the tips. Or, people can do nothing.
“To me, it’s simply not worth the bother,” said Irvin Etienne, horticulture display coordinator at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. “Usually, you only get some leaf damage. If, for some reason, the bloom is damaged and you really need some yellow next spring, then buy a few pansies.”
For the most part, he said, plants, such as daffodils, are so tough that you will be surprised at how well they will handle these situations. “I think if next year is more or less normal, then plants will get back to their regular schedule.”
Perennials likely will recover without our doing anything. Cut back any winter-damaged foliage in spring and the perennials likely will bloom again at their normal time. Some hellebores are supposed to bloom this time of year, so that’s normal.
Trees and shrubs, though, are a bit more of a challenge. “My advice is to just roll with it,” Etienne said. “If it is a shrub or tree, there is really very little one do.”
Wrapping shrubs and trees is out of the realm of possibilities for most of us.
“I believe in accepting there is a limit to what you can do. Part of becoming a gardener, or even just having a few plants, is realizing you can only do so much. Nature is more powerful than you,” Etienne said.