Things to Do in March
- PRUNE SPRING FLOWERING SHRUBS. Just as flowers
begin to
fade is the best time to prune spring-flowering shrubs. To keep
your shrubs ever young, prune out 1/3 of the oldest canes back to
the ground each year. Pruning past the end of June will cut off
next year's flower buds and result in diminished flower
production next year.
- MARTIN BIRD and BLUEBIRD HOUSES can go up by
mid-March.
- DIVIDE ESTABLISHED PERENNIALS that are overgrown.
This is
an easy way to enlarge your garden without having to purchase
more plants.
- APPLY PRE-EMERGENT HERBICIDES to shrub beds from
March 15
to April 1. Popular materials for weed control are Surflan,
Dacthal, Devrinol, and Ronstar. Use these chemicals before
mulching the beds.
- REPOT HOUSEPLANTS. To keep pot plants healthy they
should
be repotted each spring. Scrub an old pot with detergent and
water or a 10% Clorox solution before reusing, and repot in good
garden soil and peat moss or better yet, use commercial potting
soil. Do not fertilize the first month.
- GROUND COVERS. For a low maintenance landscape,
plant
areas of dense shade with ground covers (examples are
pachysandra, periwinkle, ajuga or bugleweed, and sweet woodruff)
instead of grass. Ground covers are especially useful in an area
susceptible to erosion.
- PRE-EMERGENT WEED CONTROL FOR TURF. Crabgrass
and
summer broadleaf weed preventers should be applied while the
forsythia is in bloom, but before dogwoods bloom. This is
usually around March 15 to April 1.
- AZALEAS
AND CAMELLIAS. Well-mulched azaleas and camellias
may never need fertilizing, obtaining sufficient nutrients from
the mulch as it decays. Azaleas are very sensitive to chemical
fertilizers, so use them with care. Special fertilizers for
"acid-loving plants" are not necessary; our soils are
sufficiently acid naturally. If fertilizer is indicated, use 10-
10-10 immediately after blooming at a rate of 1 teaspoon per foot
of plant height, applying it around the drip line.
Last revised 05/01/98
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