by Steve Reiners, Professor in Horticulture, Cornell University, Cornell AgriTech
Canadian wildfires are impacting air quality here in the Northeast. Smoke has filled the sky and warnings are issued for outdoor activities. This is making many growers and gardeners worried about the potential impact the smoke will have on field grown vegetables. The good news is the impact will be minimal at worst.
Smoke filled skies decrease sunlight and reduce photosynthesis but to a small degree and temporarily. Despite the shade, there is still enough diffused light penetrating the smoke to maintain growth. Smoke typically does not block the pores in the leaf (stomata) where photosynthesis happens. The most important thing you can do is maintain good soil moisture by optimizing irrigation. This will keep the pores open and clean. The droughty conditions this spring are likely to cause more of a problem than the smoke.
Concerns that leafy greens and other commodities will pick up a smokey flavor are unwarranted. Recent research done in California after wildfires there showed leafy greens had no issues with flavor or possible volatile chemicals on or within the leaves. The smoke we’re seeing does not contain dangerous chemicals.
The smoke we are experiencing is nearly 100% from the burning forests, not plastics, buildings or chemicals as seen in recent train derailments. The rain that falls through this smoky layer is also not dangerous to plants, people or animals. Unlike acid rain that forms from the burning of high sulfur fuels, the rain will be near neutral pH or just slightly acid.
Pollinators will likely stay close to their hives when it’s smoky. It’s a little early in the season for pollination of squash and other fruiting crops, so this should not be a problem. Even if the crop has flowers, bees will become active again as soon as the smoke clears.
Mask up when you’re outside tending to your plants as the smoke is a danger to you and me. But the vegetables should be fine. Keep them well watered, and you should be enjoying a normal harvest later this summer.
Once she reached the Gulf, there was a final push across the water as she flew nonstop for 500 miles until she reached land. Young and older birds may fly along the coastline into Mexico to reach their destination. My bird may have had the good fortune to alight on a passing boat or possibly an oil rig for a short rest. It is an amazing journey for such a tiny bird.
One Size Fits All Gloves! Do not buy someone else gloves, unless you can get an exact match to the pair that the gardener currently wears every single time they are out toiling in their garden. Next to shoes gloves really need to fit and feel properly for them to work. Too big and you have no control over your fingers, too small and they are painful, too thin and the dirt and thorns go right through, too thick and you don’t have enough dexterity. Stay away from gloves.
House plants. Between the plants that were brought in to overwinter and the cuttings that are taking up all the spare room on the window ledges, even the most dedicated gardener probably has more than enough house plants by mid-winter. If you absolutely, positively know that there is a plant your favorite gardener is lusting after then okay, you can give it to them. Otherwise, just look and enjoy them at the store.
Pruners. Sort of like gloves everyone has their favorites and unless you have been given the exact one that is wanted a gift certificate is a way better option.
Hoses. Another way personal item that is specific to the person who does the watering. Size, weight, length, and material make a huge difference. Common complaints from those of us who do the watering include it’s too heavy to drag with water in it, it kinks to easily and shorts out the flow, it is impossible to reel up and store making an annoying task even more so. If you have a ‘Gift List’ with a specific hose listed then perfect, get that one but do NOT purchase a substitute.
Garden Boots. (
Spades or Shovels. Length of handle, weight, shape of the head, all are a very personal preferences. Again, if one specific one was asked for perfect. Otherwise offer to take them out shopping to pick their favorite!
Time. My number one suggestion is the gift of time, time in which you will help the gardener in you life dig holes, rake, mulch, move plants, visit a garden to get ideas, shop for a native plants, etc. Having a freely given chunk of time to help out will be a gift that can be given with love and received with excitement.
Framed photo of last year’s bloom. Look through the photos on your phone and pick something that reminds you of the best of the garden. Put it in a pretty frame and it will make everyone smile through the winter months. Consider getting a metal print that does not need a frame. These are dramatic and really showcase a bloom! My favorite budget friendly but high-quality source is 
This is a perfect time to get a start on weed management for the spring. Shorter days and colder weather in the months ahead will reduce the activity of plant growth. You want to keep the process as natural as possible. Pull weeds to your hearts content without overly disturbing the soil. Don’t use hoes or rakes, and don’t turn the soil over unless you must. When you disturb the soil too much seeds resting on top of soil get planted in the loose soil, and seeds deep in the soil are brought closer to the surface where they will be able to sprout. Every time you move soil around without a purpose, the roots and seeds of unwanted plants are given the go ahead to sprout away.
Bare soil is an invitation for weeds to… well, put down roots! Cover weeds that you want gone by the spring with a layer of weighted cardboard. Sometimes I think I shop online more for the cardboard shipping boxes then for what’s inside. I also love using sheets of bark from my fireplace wood in and around my garden plants. Tree bark adds nutrients, cuts down on weed growth, and is a good insulator for tender plants. Grass clippings or shredded leaves make a nice winter mulch, but cut up leaves soon after they fall to the ground before insects and small animals take shelter. Rake only the leaves you need to, leaving a goodly amount for insects to find winter cover.
Spring flowering bulbs are usually classified by four basic characteristics: bloom time (early, mid, and late spring), height, bloom form, and color. Depending on your garden aesthetic, one or more of these characteristics will help determine what bulbs are right for you.
Bulb growers offer mixes based on color, bloom time, and compatible forms. You can also create your own mix by ordering a selection of bulbs and mixing them together. Mixes are often an economical way to have both a variety, and a mix of more expensive bulbs and more common ones. If you have never had any bulbs this is a good way to get started and feel confident in your abilities to grow bulbs.
Bulbs can be included as part of a cutting garden as well. Consider using a portion of a flower bed or veggie bed as a way of having lots of spring blooms to bring inside. Sale bags of tulips are a good bet for this, since you will be removing or lifting the bulbs after they bloom.
Crocuses 
Daffodils are a great group of bulbs to begin with. They come in a range of colors from the bright cheery yellow we all know, to soft pinks, stripes, vibrant oranges, greens, and brilliant whites. Large outward facing blossoms are a standard but there are small clusters with contrasting petals and double blossoms as well. In choosing plants think about what other shapes and textures will be a part of the garden. Finding a mix of colors, blossom forms and heights will allow you to mimic other plants in your design and compliment hardscapes. Daffodils will also naturalize well especially in partly shady areas.
Tulips
Some of the following strategies include herbicide recommendations. Every effort has been made to provide correct, complete, and up-to-date herbicide recommendations. Nevertheless, changes in herbicide regulations occur constantly and human errors are still possible. These recommendations are not a substitute for herbicide labeling. Please read the label before applying any herbicide. The label is the law!
If you decide to use an herbicide to combat these invaders, timing is key. When applied to a plant, the herbicide glyphosate, one of the most widely used weed killers, will be translocated in the plant’s phloem, which the plant uses to transport sugars and other metabolic products. But the herbicide will only be transported in the direction the plant is moving sugars. For the majority of the season plants are using sugars that they had stored in the rhizomes to grow, meaning that sugars are moving upwards in the plant’s phloem. Only once a plant starts to flower does it begin to store sugars back down in the rhizomes, meaning that sugars are moving downward in the plant and when applied glyphosate will reach the rhizomes. Both Phragmites and Japanese knotweed have extensive rhizomes
Phragmites, also known as common reed, is a perennial grass that can grow over 15 feet tall. It is commonly found in marsh and wetland areas where it forms dense stands that crowd out native vegetation. These monoculture that do not support the diversity needed for a thriving ecosystem
Japanese knotweed is an herbaceous perennial that creates dense thickets that crowd and shade out native vegetation. In the United States rhizomes can reach 30-75 feet in length and are the chief cause of spread. Fragment of stem and rhizome can regenerate new plants. In big storm events pieces of the plant are broken off and transported to new areas, where they can establish new colonies. Finding small plant fragments digging them out and disposing of them properly can go a long way in saving resources, time, and the damage of future infestations.
Multifloral Rose is an herbaceous shrub in the rose family (Rosaceae). It has canes or stems) have numerous thorns and can grow up to 15 feet in length and usually arc toward the ground and takes root, a process called layering. This creates dense thickets 6-10 feet tall. After establishment, individuals can increase their size by 1-2 feet a week during midsummer. Multifloral rose has clusters of showy, fragrant white flowers in late May or June. It spreads through seed, root sprouting, and layering. The fruit, known as rose hips, are eaten and dispersed by our feathered friends, and can persist and remain viable in the soil for up to 20 years.
