| March is a great month for trimming and tidying. | | | | plants from mail order, this should be done early in |
| Get it done now because a month from now | | | | month. When things arrive, bare-root woody |
| you'll be busy cleaning dirt from under your | | | | plants will take priority in planting, so think ahead.o |
| fingernails. | | | | Bulbs such as lilies and Canna should be planted |
| March is one of the most important months of | | | | now for summer and fall color.o Annuals that |
| the year for fertilizing because it is the start of | | | | enjoy the cooler weather March offers may be |
| the growing season. Feed (16-16-16) fruit and | | | | planted. These include pansies, snapdragons and |
| ornamental trees, groundcovers, shrubs, perennials | | | | calendulas.o Tulip and daffodil bulbs require a light |
| and annuals that have been in the ground at least | | | | application of fertilizer (a high- nitrogen, |
| six weeks. Feed your container plants also | | | | quick-release fertilizer)o Cut smooth hydrangeas |
| Shrubs and Treeso Remove the winter mulch | | | | all the way to the ground. Thin last year's growth |
| from existing roses and prune as needed. Consult | | | | on peegee hydrangeas, and remove dead wood |
| a good rose book for the best methods to trim | | | | at the base of oak-leaf hydrangeaso Get a step |
| your type of rose since timing and methods | | | | ahead by edging and weeding your beds. Dig |
| varyo Prune your trees especially fruit trees | | | | them, roots and all, before they set seed which |
| (except walnut, maple and birch trees). Do not | | | | will lessen their numbers latero Now is when you |
| prune flowering shrubs.o Fertilize deciduous and | | | | should cut back your ornamental grasses. Hold or |
| evergreen trees. Protect deciduous trees from | | | | tie the old growth with twine and cut the grass |
| mites, scale and aphids by treating with | | | | 4-6 inches from the ground. New growth will |
| horticultural oil.o Start watering trees and shrubs | | | | appear in a few weeks. |
| that you planted in the fall. Begin when you see | | | | Other Stuffo Check garden tools. Fix, sharpen or |
| new leaves appear. A slow, steady watering is | | | | replace them as necessary.o Clean out your |
| best. Try using a hose on a slow trickle or a | | | | birdhouses get them ready for spring nestingo |
| soaker hose to water deeply and wello Plant new | | | | Take the mower in for a tune-up.o Broken or |
| fruit trees, rose bushes, berries, spring flowering | | | | weak arbors, fences and trellis should be repaired |
| shrubs and other deciduous plants. Not the best | | | | this montho Cleaning and repairing drip irrigation |
| time to transplant unless tree or shrub is still in | | | | lineso Remove leaves from the bottom of ponds |
| dormant stage. | | | | or other water featureso Start over seeding bare |
| Flower and Bulb Bedso Test the pH levels in | | | | spots in the lawn. Seed once a week and water |
| planting beds. Adjusting the pH level of soil is the | | | | lightly twice a day until spots fill in. But don't |
| single most important garden task you can | | | | fertilize until Memorial Day. Apply pre-emergent |
| perform to get healthy plants.o Cut back | | | | crabgrass control to your lawn |
| perennials that you left standing for wintero This | | | | "Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a |
| is a great time to buy and plant perennials as the | | | | shoe full of slush. |
| soil is still cool. Also if you are ordering in bare root | | | | |