March
GARDENING TO-DO LIST
Planting Guide
- Plant tomatoes by the middle of the month for a spring harvest. Plant peppers, okra, cucumbers, eggplant, climbing spinach and more. Use Cottonseed Meal or a liquid organic fertilizer like MicroLife Ocean Harvest for an abundant and healthy harvest.
- Plant fruit trees, shade trees, and ornamental trees. Be sure to apply mulch around the root zone to keep moist and avoid weeds. Make sure trees are watered regularly during first few years of growth, while tree is getting established. Add mycorrhizae to planting hole to also aid establishment of the tree. Use Super Thrive or Root Stimulator every few weeks for the first three months after planting.
- Plant shrubs such as roses and azaleas. Use Super Thrive or Root Stimulator every two weeks for the first few months after planting.
- Plant Sun Perennials Shasta daisy, rudbeckia, gaillardia, verbena, coreopsis, lantana, perennial salvias, bee balm, porterweed, mist flower, jatropha, skullcap are some of the many we offer.
- Plant colorful shade perennials like firespike, shrimp plant, Persian shield, leopard plant, cat whiskers, ruellias, turk’s cap, sweet potato vine, creeping jenny, and many more!
- Plant color annuals such as marigolds, fuchsias, petunias, osteospermum, perilla, bachelor buttons, coleus, forget-me-nots, dusty millers, annual phlox, geraniums, impatiens, begonias and more!
- Start seeds or set out plants for spring flowers and herbs. Plant now and get established before heat sets in. Good herbs to plant include basil, dill, chives, cilantro, fennel, oregano, mint and parsley. (Come on in and see our wide selection). Use a dilute solution of Kelp Me Kelp You to improve vigor.
Lawn
Mow lawn to help eliminate weeds. Keep weeds cut back to prevent flowering and re-seeding. Fill bare patches with St. Augustine sod. Apply lawn food after three mowings. At this time the grass will be actively growing and it is a good time to apply Micro Life or other lawn fertilizer.
Pruning
Prune roses. Now is the time to begin applying rose food on a monthly basis. Use Rose Glo, an organic fertilizer we keep in stock.
Prune trees and shrubs while dormant. If you need assistance with the proper way to prune your crepe myrtles, let us know~!!! Don’t butcher the poor things. Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as azaleas, spireas, and redbuds after they’ve bloomed. Feed with Nutri Star or Micro-life, once after they bloom and then again in June.
Birds
Clean birdbaths and feeders. Keep feeders full!! Birds are hungry. We sell feeder cleaning supplies in the bungalow.
Put out hummingbird feeders. We are expecting our first sighting any day now! To keep birds at your feeder, maintain a fresh nectar supply, and empty and wash the feeder each time you refill. Hummingbirds remember where they find a reliable food source –so if your yard is one of them, they’ll often return year after year.
Pests
Apply dormant oil to smother insects before they become a problem. Apply to hollies, magnolias, and camellias for scale. Release Lady Bugs to control insects like aphids and whitefly.
Houseplants
In mid-March, move houseplants outside into shade and repot if necessary. Feed with an organic liquid fertilizer like Kelp Me Kelp You by Bushdoctor.
Fertilizing & Mulching
Feed Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Plumeria, with Nutri Star. This will help plants to put out new lush growth and plenty of blooms.
Spread a fresh layer of mulch around trees, shrubs, and beds to protect roots, retain moisture, and prevent weeds.
