f Warmer Weather May Damage Spring Blooms Martha Maletta Horticultural Consultant RUTGERS, N.J. Sixty-plus degrees in January. Precipitation well below normal. What effect might these unusual but not un heard of conditions have on plants? Not unusual under these con ditions are premature blossoms on spring-blooming plants such as forsythia and cherry. (I noted some plums in rather abundant bloom around the December holi days—an unexpected gift.) This winter bloom is generally sparse, so the spring show will not be no ticeably reduced. ' Some spring-flowering bulbs notably narcissus - are poking prematurely from the soil. It is unlikely that the flower display will be adversely affected, but leaves could be scorched if a deep freeze occurs. A blanket of straw or leaves might prevent the dam age. Hopefully, other herbaceous perennials were mulched in De cember or early January to pre vent plant heaving during freeze and thaw cycles. Warm temperatures are a more serious potential threat to trees and shrubs. Our hardy woody plants survive winter by physiologically acclimating (hardening) to cold temperatures. This is a gradual process that can be interrupted by warm fall tem peratures and can be partially re versed by warm winter tempera tures. Plant damage can occur under these conditions when tem peratures drop, especially if it happens suddenly. The damage can take various forms from loss of buds and twigs to death of the living tissue in We Salute Our faming Industry TOYS, T-SHIRTS & COLLECTIBLES ©NEW ITEMS jgfc ARRIVING WEEKLY JOhnCWr* CHECK OUR WEB SITE www.abcgroff.com OR VISIT OUR STORE (7*7) 355-4121 (800) 845-8315 (( GROFF! RR * Monday thm Friday 730&QO; Sattirdav 7i3o*»oon ITjßst. ywtourWafcsiK W trunks and stems. There is no practical way to prevent freeze damage due to erratic tempera ture extremes. To help prevent damage from freezing fall tem peratures, avoid fall fertilization, excessive irrigation and pruning that can delay hardening off. The dry weather we’ve experi enced since mid-summer can take an extra toll during winter. Evergreens are especially vulner able. They loose water from their leaves during winter, especially under sunny and/or warm and/or windy conditions. If soil is dry or frozen so there is not enough water available to replace that lost from leaves, leaf scorch, even stem death, can result. Preven tion includes making sure these plants go into winter with ade quate soil moisture. If wind expo sure is compounding the prob lem, install a temporary screen. Roots in dry soil may freeze. Roots are less hardy than the tops of trees and shrubs, but soil usually provides adequate protec tion. Temperature will change more rapidly in dry soil than in moist soil, and, especially when there is no insulating snow cover, the temperature in dry soil can drop to root-damaging levels when a deep freeze persists for a few days. This is another reason to make sure plants go into win ter with moist soil. Proper mulch ing can help conserve soil mois ture. Predicting exactly what toll last fall and this winter will exact in our landscapes is impossible. But I will not be surprised if a fair amount of winter damage shows up this spring. KWHOUAKI Consumer Acceptance Of Irradiated Beef Grows DENVER, Colo. Consumer acceptance of irradiated ground beef is growing, according to a checkoff-funded study conducted on behalf of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board (CBB). The study, which measured consumer perceptions about irradiated ground beef, re vealed a sizeable potential mar ket for the product. Irradiation can virtually elimi nate E. coli 0157:H7 and greatly reduce other pathogens, enhanc ing the safety of ground beef. The technology was approved for use on white potatoes in 1965, fruit and vegetables in 1986, pork in 1986, poultry in 1990, and beef in 1997. Researchers found that a per son’s acceptance of irradiated beef was greatly influenced by initial perceptions. Four consum er segments were identified strong buyers (27 percent of the test group), interested (34 per cent), doubters (24 percent) and rejecters (15 percent). The first three are potential markets for ir radiated ground beef, and by im plementing consumer education Capital Area Beekeepers Offer Short Course In Beekeeping HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) The Capital Area Bee keepers Association is offering the 15 th annual short course in Basic Beekeeping. This popular two-day short course is scheduled for Saturday, May 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m„ at the Dauphin County Agriculture and Nature Center, in Dauphin; and Satur day, May 18, from noon to 5 p.m., at the Milton Hershey Farm Conference Center and Apiary, in Hershey. This course is sponsored by the association in cooperation with the Penn State Cooperative Ex tension. The course faculty in eludes cooperative extension apiculturist, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture apiary inspectors, and expe- •.> y<*