For the First Half of the Month:
· Order seeds through catalogs to take advantage of early-bird discounts.
· Leave mulch on perennials continually; unfortunately, there are probably more cold days ahead.
· Prune ornamental plants like oak, yew, pine, juniper, and arborvitae to shape. Remove dead or unattractive parts of the tree such as branches and crotches that have crossed and sprouts or suckers growing at or near the base of the trunk. Also, remove branches broken due to winter winds and storms.
· Remove honeysuckle and other weedy vines from deciduous landscape plants.
· Watch for signs of growth from early spring bulbs, and when foliage is one-inch high, remove mulch gradually.
· Read seed packages for planting instructions. Don’t start garden plants indoors too early.
For the Second Half of the Month:
· Read gardening books to get garden/landscape ideas for spring and early summer.
· Order shrubs for spring planting.
· Order perennial plants and bulbs such as shasta daisies, gladiolus, and lilies to be used as cut flowers this summer.
· Prune grapevines while they are still dormant and use the pruned pieces to make wreaths to decorate your home or give as gifts.
· Examine houseplants. Weak, thin or soft growth may be an indication of insufficient light or high temperatures.
· Plan vegetable, perennial and herb gardens on paper. Compare last year’s notes to make improvements or adjustments in the plot size and planting locations.
2 comments:
I am going to turn a large area of lawn into multiple raised beds, and I want to remove the sod--when is the best time to remove sod and till?
I was hoping to get an early bed going with cauliflower, broccoli, kale, peas, etc... but should I make that bed earlier than all the rest or should I wait until I can make them all? If the roots of cauliflower and such cool weather crops don't need more than 1 foot I could do that one bed by hand and get it started early.
What are your suggestions?
Jessica, I have just posted the March Gardening calender. This may be helpful. I would strongly recommend a soil test before you plant. This can be obtained through your local extension office. Also, if you are removing sod, add it to your compost pile or use it to start a compost pile. Also do not till while the soil is wet.
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