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Monthly Gardening Tips / March
Planning:
- Choose planting areas based on exposure
to sun, shade, and wind; consider distance
from water source
- Test for soil types and pH levels before
major planting
Chores and Maintenance:
- Carefully remove winter mulches from planting
beds
- Dig beds in preparation for spring planting
as soon as earth is friable
- Add compost in four to six inch layers and
work into planting bed soil
- Remove protective cover from evergreens
- Reset frost-heaved plants
- Apply horticultural oil sprays to dormant
trees and shrubs before buds open and if there
is no danger of night frost
- As ground becomes workable, de-thatch lawn;
fill in low spots with soil; fertilize established
lawns
Planting:
- Plant deciduous and evergreen trees and
shrubs, weather and soil conditions permitting
- Sow seeds of annuals and vegetables indoors
which require 10-12 weeks before transplanting
- Sow radish and lettuce seeds directly into
the vegetable garden
- Plant cold weather vegetables like spinach,
peas, lettuce and broccoli as soon as soil
is workable
- Plant and transplant perennials
- Divide and transplant summer-blooming perennials
- Soak mail order bare-root plants before
planting
- Plant roses
Pruning/Fertilizing:
- Prune all plant material to remove any diseased,
dead, weak or crossing branches
- Complete tree pruning before new growth
begins
- Prune late flowering shrubs such as buddleia
and Hydrangea paniculata but wait until after
flowering on early flowering shrubs like forsythia,
Hydrangea macrophylla, rhododendron and syringa
- Wait to prune evergreens, hedges and other
shrubs until late spring into early summer
- Prune all fruit trees before growth begins
- Prune hybrid tea roses, floribundas and
grandifloras but wait until after flowering
on climbers and ramblers
- Prune back leggy perennials
- Cut back ornamental grasses to new shoots
- Fertilize deciduous, broad-leaved and needle-leaved
evergreen trees and shrubs if not fed in the
fall
- Apply fertilizer to roses as new growth
begins
- Fertilize and lime vegetable garden
Indoors:
- Begin to transplant pot-bound houseplants
- Continue to inspect for pests and control
as needed
- Cut back leggy houseplants
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