Blackbirds Tell The Madman To Get Seeds

Looking out the back window the other day, the madman saw a Red-winged Blackbird at the feeder. Whoa, January 15 is a bit earlier than usual. According to some ornithologists (SAT word for bird expert), Red-winged Blackbirds are year-round residents of Connecticut. Others say our Blackbirds migrate south for the winter.

Blackbirds are Early

In our backyard, they disappear every year for the winter – usually returning in March, sometimes as late as March 27. This year we reported our sighting on Journey North because it seemed so early. We found were not alone in our sighting. Someone reported seeing five of the birds on January 7 in Weymouth, Massachusetts.

The madman has always rather liked the Red-wing Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus). But, not a lot of others share this opinion. Actually, this bird gets a pretty bad rap for a number of reasons. These birds are noisy, especially during nesting season when the males are busy staking out their territories and attracting females. They also aggressively defend their territory – just ask anyone who has been pecked because they accidentally got too close to a nest.

Blackbirds Are Costly

The most important reason for the bad rap is the financial damage they can cause by destroying crops, especially Sunflowers. During spring and summer, Red-winged Blackbirds are busy feeding protein-rich foods to their young. But, after nesting season is over, the birds’ diets change to grain. As they migrate toward their winter feeding grounds, these social birds tend to travel in large flocks. Unfortunately, the migration coincides with ripening grain crops.

You can imagine what can happen to a field of ripe sunflowers as thousands of hungry birds descend. The result can be devastating. Knowing how aggressive these birds can be, the madman understands why a lot of people in the grain belt think that blackbirds would be better off baked in a pie, all of them not just four and twenty.

Time To Get Moving

Anyway, seeing that Blackbird at our feeder signaled the madman that it is time to get moving. Spring is coming and the garden won’t wait.

It’s not like he hasn’t been doing anything. We’ve actually been pretty busy since last fall. We planted and mulched the garlic. We cleared all the plant debris from the vegetable garden beds; they are ready for spring. (By the way, we don’t clear the flower/herb beds in fall – instead we leave them alone for wildlife.) And, thanks to an unusually warm spell of weather, we heavily mulched the garden paths for weed control.

Our seed catalogs are looking pretty worn-out by now. The madman has already ordered his onions, potatoes and sweet potato slips. They won’t be shipped until proper planting time, but he didn’t want to get shut out of his favorite varieties. In fact, if you plan to grow any of these crops, place your orders now before suppliers run out. Supplies of certain varieties already carry the label “in short supply” or, worse, “out of stock.”

Valentine’s Day Deadline

Being an incurable romantic, the madman always sets a seed ordering deadline of February 14. He still orders beyond that date if something jumps out and says, “grow me”, but for the most part, all seeds will be ordered by Valentines Day.

His seed selections have taken an unusually long time this year because of all the time he spent mulling over the USDA Growing Zone changes (two blogs worth!) In reality, the zone change will not affect our annual vegetable crops, but the fact that we are getting warmer gave him lots to think about.

Like any other gardeners, we have our tried-and-true favorites. You know, those vegetables that always end up in your garden – the ones you can count on to grow and produce.

Try Something New

The madman always likes to try something new in the garden, but he’s thinking that the new zone change might broaden his varieties. He’s also looking for more heat and drought resistant varieties – you remember the summers we’ve been having. Anyway, his selection isn’t quite finalized yet, so I can’t tell you what he’s ordering. But, a quick go through of your favorite catalogs will give you plenty of ideas, remember to add something new.

Another idea is to visit Ocean State Job Lot if you’re not too fussy. They sell packets of Burpee seeds at 40% off. They have a limited selection, but you can’t beat the price. Believe it or not, the madman says this is the most reliable place he has found to get his favorite radish, Salad Rose.

Stay Local

Here’s another idea. Connecticut is home to four of our favorite seed companies. Although not all the seeds they offer are from Connecticut, they will grow well in our climate. It’s easy to stay local and get quality seeds that you know will do well in your garden. The four are Chas Hart Seed in Wethersfield, NE Seed in East Hartford, John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds in Bantam and Select Seeds in Union.

Out Of The Dark

Although the madman still has three more weeks to make his final seed selection, I have noticed a lightness to his step lately. I’m guessing that it has more to do with February 1 than with February 14. The madman uses February 1 to mark the end of the Persephone Period, meaning the dark days of winter are over. We will now have more than 10 hours of daylight until November 9.

February 1 signals the end of the holding period in his greenhouse. You see, plants need 10 hours of daylight to grow. All winter, the plants in his greenhouse, including the lettuce, have just been sitting there. They aren’t dying, but they aren’t growing either. Now, with more daylight, they can shift into growing gear.

Don’t Rush

It’s still too early to plant most of the seeds for your garden – last frost date is too far in the future. But I must admit that I have seen some signs of growing peppers and tomatoes under the lights in the basement. “They’re just my suicide tomatoes and the peppers that need a ton of time to grow,” the madman insists. You see, he really is a madman.

And I think it’s time for a cup of hot cocoa.