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March
Watering
- Water lawns, gardens, trees and shrubs once to twice a week
depending on temperatures and snow/rainfall.
- Water winter annuals in containers every week or two depending
on pot size.
- Remember: New plantings will require more water the first year.
Fertilizing
- Start applying Sure Green on trees, shrubs and lawns.
- Fertilize houseplants with a good water-soluble fertilizer. Be
sure not to over-fertilize or over-water houseplants in winter months.
- Start improving your garden soil by mixing in some organic
material such as compost or a top dressing of manure.
- Start fertilizing Roses, Iris, Crape Myrtle, Lilacs and Peonies
and all other flowering with an application of Super Phosphate or Triple Super
Phosphate.
Yard And Garden
- Plant bare root roses, trees and shrubs.
- Prune roses in mid-March.
- Plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
- Plant flowering annuals and perennials.
- Dethatch, aerate and water cool season lawns. Start mowing as
soon as you start to see new growth.
- Cut back ornamental grasses into a ball shape if you have not
done so already.
- Transplant any mislocated plants while dormant.
- Prune deciduous trees and shrubs. The best time to prune is when
plants have gone fully dormant. Prune summer-flowering shrubs such as Crepe
Myrtle, Butterfly Bush and Rose of Sharon. Do not prune spring-flowering plants
until after they bloom.
- Prune berries and grapes in late March, except Heritage
raspberries, which are pruned in fall.
- Pruning Guidelines:
- No more
than 1/3 of the plant
- Prune
all dead or damaged branches
- Prune
off branches that cross and rub
- Prune
to thin the interior of the plant to increase air circulation
Insects And Diseases
- Clean your garden area by removing all debris to prevent unwanted
over- wintering pests, but watch out for cocoons that may be harboring butterflies!
Refresh with a layer of cypress, cedar or pecan mulch.
- Be sure to remove fallen leaves from your lawn. Wet leaves can
block sunlight and increase the chance of disease.
- Use horticultural or dormant spray on deciduous trees and
shrubs, especially fruit trees, to kill insects and help prevent disease. It’s
important to spray early before buds start to swell.
- Apply chelated iron or soil acidifier with iron to chlorosis-prone
trees and shrubs, chitalpa, maples, aspens, willow, euonymus and photinia.
- Apply Bonide Tree and Shrub to trees and shrubs for year-long
protection from insects. Do not apply to edible plants.
- Kill early weeds in landscape and garden with Killzall. Kill
early weeds in lawns with Weed Beater.
Vegetables
- Plant cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage,
cauliflower, broccoli, swiss chard, kale and mustards in a cold frame or use
frost cloth.
- Improve soils in vegetable beds by adding BTE compost, home
compost or manure.
- Plant onion sets, strawberries, rhubarb and asparagus.
- Continue planting seeds for the upcoming spring season!
Misc.
- Protect any tender plants from freezing with a frost cloth. Protect small plants with leaves or mulch.
- Start a new compost bin.
- Attend Osuna University.