Spring Freeze Warning!

Do you know when the average last freeze occurs in Northeastern Oklahoma?

I didn't either until someone told me. Hint: It's a day that should be easy to remember, but not for a reason most of us would enjoy.

April 15th is the day.

What this means is that many trees bud out, and some perennials put out new growth, just in time for... a hard freeze. Like this year. A freeze on the night of April 2nd, and temperatures below freezing on the nights of the 5th and 6th as well.

It's hard to say what to do for each plant in the landscape, but if you know there's a hard freeze coming here are some rules of thumb:

Give everything you can a generous drink of water. Water, absorbed by a plant, helps it to resist the stress of low temperatures.

Apply mulch to the root area. The mulch will help to keep the soil temperate constant and also keep moisture in place. To protect from freezing, pile the mulch on the plant generously, then after the freeze just spread it around in the bed. You needed new mulch in there anyway, didn't you? :)

If possible, cover the plant. Cardboard boxes are best - also old bedsheets or blankets made into a tent over the plant are good. Again, a pile of mulch is good for some plants like hostas.

For fruit trees setting buds, set a lawn sprinkler on them when the temperature gets down close to freezing. As the temperature goes below freezing and the water freezes on the buds, it actually releases heat which keeps the bud above freezing.

Last, for you rosarians, wait until early April to prune your roses instead of the conventional wisdom of late March. That way, when that new growth emerges it won't have to contend with freezing nighttime air.

Hat tip: Mark Stelljes at Roses, Inc. of Tulsa:

www.rosesinctulsa.com

Welcome to the Oklahoma bois d'arc (bodark) Blog!

Welcome! The bois d'arc (pronounced Bodark) tree, also known as the Osage Orange tree, (botanical name Maclura pomifera) is a species native to the great plains and the southern U.S.



It's called Osage Orange because of the orange-ish tint to its wood, which is exceptionally hard, dense, and supple. Native Americans preferred this wood to make bows, hence the name "bois d'arc" given to it by French explorers, which roughly translates to "bow".



Americans of anglo descent changed the pronunciation to the inelegant but easier to spell "bodark".



A most excellent live specimen of Maclura pomifera can be found on the campus of OSU at Stillwater. It's a good choice for a landscape tree when a large, broad, long-lived tree is called for.



Bois d'arc is a beautiful, often unappreciated landscape tree with a cool name and a place in American history. This is why I've chosen its name for the name of this blog.