March 2006

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March

• When starting a new lawn, add and mix in soil conditioners and fertilizers. Conditioners improve soil by increasing moisture and fertilizer holding capacity. Organic materials that can be used as soil conditioners include old sawdust, cotton gin waste, peanut hulls and sewer sludge.
• Trees like to be transplanted before the end of March. In mid-and-upper South, April is satisfactory.
• When planting trees, make the planting hole at least two feet deeper and wider than the ball. It’s helpful to add some peat moss mixed with soil.
• Spring marks fertilizing time for evergreen trees and shrubs as well as deciduous trees and shrubs that didn’t receive fall feedings. Individual shrubs need two to four cups of complete fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, 8-8-8 or 10-6-4. Small plants need less; large plants need more. Rake back mulch, apply fertilizer and replace mulch.
• Plant moon vine (Calonyction aculeatum) after the last hard freeze for beautiful, perfumed white flowers that open at night.
• On mild days, move houseplants outdoors to a semi-shaded spot for a few hours to let them acclimate to the upcoming outdoor vacation.
• Sow the seeds of certain flowering annuals directly into well-prepared flowerbeds. These include: alyssum, poppy, cornflower, globe amaranth, and strawflower, which is popular for dried arrangements in winter.
• Start bedding plants indoors for late planting outside. In a few weeks, these slow-to-bloom annuals will be available at garden centers: candytuft, rudbeckia, verbena and gaillardia.
• Till your vegetable garden now. Organic matter and compost piled on soil during winter months need to be turned under. Along with liberal amounts of complete fertilizer (unless a soil test shows the need for a special mix), this provides a good area for growing vegetables. After preparing the ground, set out cabbages, collard plants, Irish potatoes and onions. Sow seeds of mustards, radishes, chives, English peas, leaf lettuce, beets, carrots, radishes, chard, kale, spinach, including New Zealand spinach, and turnips. Wait another month for the soil to warm up before planting seedlings of eggplants, peppers and tomatoes.
• After planting strawberries, pinch off any blooms that appear the first year to concentrate energy toward developing strong roots and runners. Next year, plants will be established enough to produce a quality crop.