Crocus Sprouting Early? Don't Worry; Most Spring Bulbs Are Tough

Q: Even though it's still January, my bulbs are poking through the ground and sprouting. How can I save them from freezes?

A: Early emergence from the ground characterizes a lot of spring-blooming bulbs. Crocus, grape hyacinth, narcissus and even some tulips may put up green shoots in periods of mild weather. This is especially true of bulbs that have been in the ground more than one year.

There is generally no damage, even when temperatures drop below freezing, because these leaves are very cold-tolerant when the growth is only an inch or so out of the ground. They will stop growing when temperatures drop. The buds which will eventually produce bloom are still protected under the sheltering earth.

A light layer of mulch may improve your peace of mind, but in general spring bulbs are tough and will be fine. Many had begun to sprout before cold weather in February 1991 and bloomed well despite severe cold.

Q: I have several really big coniferous evergreens that have shed a huge crop of needles and cones. Should this refuse go in the compost pile, or is it better used somewhere else?

A: Many Northwest gardeners have a wealth of conifer residue littering their yards. Like all plant parts, needles and cones are biodegradable and will eventually decay, though extremely slowly. One good use for needles is as a protective mulch, uncomposted but simply spread under shrubs in borders to a depth of 2 to 3 inches.

Whether you add them to your compost depends on how quickly you want the compost to be ready. Material like pine needles, which are very low in nitrogen, needs to be balanced with a high-nitrogen source such as fresh grass clippings or fresh manure in order to start a rapid decomposition.

If you can manage to alternate layers of the pine needles with such a high-nitrogen source, you may get a faster breakdown. Keep your pile moistened for best breakdown (about as wet as a squeezed sponge).

If you've ever raked up an old, untended garden, you've seen the crumbly black results of decayed pine needles (think of the spongy forest floor with layers of that stuff on it). Simply piling them up in a corner of the garden will work, but it may take several years.

Cones themselves are particularly tough, being evolved to protect seeds (except deodar cedar cones, which shatter into individual bits). Cones may be the slowest of all to break down, but they will provide air spaces in your compost and, like all garden materials, can decay. It really depends on your desire (or lack of desire) to keep sifting bits of undigested matter out of your finished compost.

Q: Last season my entire tomato crop was wiped out by what appeared to be an out-of-season frost. Fruits, leaves and stems all appeared to have been frozen overnight, but it was early September and yet no frost occurred. What happened?

A: The fungus disease called late blight will often do what you describe. Entire plants can turn black and useless overnight, it seems. This is the same organism that caused the potato famines in Ireland in the early 19th century, prompting the enormous migration to America.

Often a period of cool, wet, overcast weather occurs in late summer or early fall, and the blight hits. Keeping rain or dew off the plants will reduce the likelihood of infection.

Some gardeners routinely spray their tomato and potato crops, beginning in August, every seven to 10 days with fungicides like fixed copper or chlorothalonil. This prevents the disease from attacking, but once it has happened, there's not much you can do.

Gardening runs Friday in the Scene section and Sunday in Home/Real Estate of The Seattle Times. It is prepared by George Pinyuh and Holly Kennell, Washington State University / King County Cooperative Extension agents, Mary Robson, Master Gardener program assistant, and volunteer Master Gardeners. Send questions to: Gardening, The Seattle Times, P.O. Box 70, Seattle, WA 98111. Questions of general interest will be answered as space allows.