Warmer weather causing premature blooming of flowers and plants
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With warmer than usual weather in Western Pa., Mother Nature has been fooling our plants and some are prematurely showing themselves.
Can you, or should you do anything? KDKA's John Shumway reached out to one of Pittsburgh's prime experts on the topics.
There are things you can do, which ironically starts with not doing something.
The warm weather impact is undeniable and all over the place, we're seeing sprouting.
"Well, certainly there's no arguing that this has been a warmer winter than normal and we're getting some warm days," said Ben Dunigan, Phipps Horticultural Collections Manager
Dunigan says the plants don't ignore the warmth just because the calendar says February.
"They heat up to the point at which their metabolism kind of kicks into action as far as spring goes," Dunigan said.
But he quickly adds tulips, daffodils, and bulbs are resilient.
"They are some of the hardiest plants out there," Dunigan said.
Dunigan says you can help them by not jumping the gun with the rake.
"Really fight the urge to start your spring," Dunigan said.
What you will rake away provides insulation.
"You know, don't be afraid to just cover up, you know, those that even if it's green and coming up now, just you could cover it up," Dunigan said.
"It's really when you start getting down below 20 into the teens. If you see that kind of temperatures, those are going to be more of a concern for the bulbs," Dunigan said.
In those cases, gather up leaves or whatever from elsewhere in the yard and put a fresh blanket on those green sprouts.
Dunigan says you can also cover them up with something like an old bedsheet. He says not to use plastic though, because it can do more harm than good.
If it's a fruit tree which is too big to cover, Dunigan says a light spray of water can act as an insulator.
If you do nothing and the bushes freeze, Dunigan says plants are tough and usually have a layer of secondary buds and they will leaf out.
They might take a while and you'll need to give them some care.
