Snips & Tips from the March Garden
Garden area
· Finalize selections and plant new trees and shrubs
· Mulch tree and shrubs plantings up to 4 inches deep – keep away from trunks
· Fertilize established trees and shrubs
· Prune trees as needed – repair winter storm damage
· Apply dormant oil to fruit trees in early March to reduce scale and mite insects
· March is a great time to plant berry crops which includes strawberries, blueberries, boysenberries, currants, and grapes.
· Clean up flower beds by cutting back old foliage
· Consider installing a raised bed. Add a high-quality soil to solve any problems with clay or sand. Raised beds are good back-savers when weeding, planting, or tending plants.
· Start seeds indoors under lights for later transfer to garden
· Plant new roses – okay to prune floribunda and hybrid tea roses
· Prune spring blooming plants after they finish blooming
House plants
· Divide plants
· Repot
· Fertilize
· Monitor for houseplant pests
Lawn
· Reseed with fescue
· Grubs become active this month and feast on grass before molting. Check with your local extension office to learn which treatments work best in your area this time of year.
· Get the jump on crabgrass by applying a preemergent herbicide. Applications should coincide with forsythia flowering
Miscellaneous
· Check irrigation system for repairs and upgrades
· Sharpen tools and mower blades or replace as needed
· Attract bluebirds - Bluebirds start nesting in the spring, so it's important to have your nesting boxes up and ready for them by then. Bluebirds may start nesting anytime between February and April.