TILLER: Spring is time to start seeding

Local News

March 13, 2010

By The Towpath Tiller The Tonawanda News Sat Mar 13, 2010, 12:16 AM EST

True to form, the first 10 days of March came in like a lamb with great weather that included blue skies, sunshine and moderate temperatures. The only dark cloud was the closing of Federal Meats in Mid City Plaza. A new lease with much higher rent made it impossible to do business. Employees will be relocated to other markets. But, NT will lose another business and community feature. Good luck Dave, Doug and “Neal with an attitude.”

Have you noticed trees are breaking dormancy? Buds are beginning to swell, beckoning another growing season.

The Tiller is gearing up! Catalog orders are in, buy one-get one Menne seeds have been purchased, seeds stored in the air-tight old fashioned coffee jar have been tested for germination. And, Amy S., the great flower lady at Sherwood Florist gifted the Tiller small peat pots for this seed year’s starting ritual.

The number one question asked as we enter a new season “will late blight wipe out this year’s tomato crop?” The Tiller is trying to minimize this by including highly disease-resistant varieties in this year’s garden. They include Legend and two Mountain series ... Pride and Spring: Only a few heirlooms will be planted at the far end of the garden.

Enthused by recent great weather, the Tiller is getting ahead of himself. Uncle Tiller used to say, “It ain’t spring until the robin gets snowed on three times!” I haven’t even seen a robin.

Enjoy these early great weather days! Put on your muck boots and carefully rake winter debris from landscape beds. Prune and remove snow damaged shrub and tree limbs. If you have fruit trees, prune to an open airy structure. When nighttime temperatures reach 50 degrees, spray fruit trees with dormant oil spray to suffocate insect eggs. Also, remove mulch from around perennial crowns.

Get out and enjoy good weather days, it was a long winter!

Tilbit: A scoop! Wal-Mart is coming to town. Much needed tax base in lieu of new wet land mapping that removes many acres of land from NT’s development.

Tilbit: Don’t forget to enjoy waffles or pancakes with this year’s regional crop of maple syrup.

Contact Dale Rogers, aka the Towpath Tiller, at newsroom@tonawanda-news.com.

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