1. Cut back roses and shape your shrub roses. Those tall bushes can be

trimmed to 1 ½ to 2 feet in height with open centers. . Climbing roses

should be left unpruned until after their spring bloom. March is also a

good time to add roses to the landscape.

2. Care for fruit trees. There is still plenty of time to spray wintering

insects with dormant oil. Pruning to open up the centers will help to

reduce disease problems with better air flow. Added sunlight will help

to ripen and color the fruit.

 3. Tend vegetable garden.  The first half of the month is the right time

to plant potatoes, asparagus crowns, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels

 sprouts, mustard and collard greens, carrots, radishes, Swiss chard, lettuce.

 4. Care for lawn. Before those summer (long day) weeds begin to

grow, cover the lawn with organic, pre-emergent corn gluten. Early

March is a great time to cut the lawn close and aerate if the soil has

become compacted. A quarter to half inch top dressing of manure-based

compost like Dillo Dirt will go a long way to revitalize turf grass by

adding nutrients, microbes, and beneficial bacteria. If the soil below the

turf grass is poor, aeration and Dillo Dirt will work wonders. As a top

dressing, Dillo Dirt mixed with some sand can help to level the low places.

frost date is behind us, we can shift to warm season gardening:

5. Fertilize turf grass. This will begin to grow as the ground warms up.

An organic lawn fertilizer with a 3 -1- 2 ratio can be applied to the lawn

at the rate of 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Be sure to water the

lawn fertilizer in thoroughly after applying.

6. Insect control. With new growth from all our trees, flowers, and

shrubs… come the insects. Aphids will show up on just about everything.

A safe, organic spray, like All Seasons Oil will keep them at bay without

harming the environment or poisoning ourselves. Our oak trees will be

shedding their leaves and putting on new growth any week. With this

change come the oak leaf rollers and forest tent caterpillars. Sprays with

organic B.T. should be an effective and safe way to control these damaging

insects. Look for products such as Thuricide or Dipel.

7. Planting vegetables. The vegetable garden for the latter half of the

month will see an explosion of activity. It’s finally time to plant tomatoes,

peppers, snap beans, limas, corn, cantaloupes, cucumbers, eggplant, squash.

8. Flower garden. The winter flower garden should be in full force. Those

snapdragons you planted back in October should be starting their second

(and best) bloom. Flowering cabbage and kale should be at their peak. New

annuals to set out are alyssum, dianthus,lobelia, phlox, geranium, gerbera daisy,

petunias, marigolds, zinnias, and nasturtiums.

9. Perennial care. Keep an eye out for those returning perennials; don’t

mistake them for weeds and pull them up. Better to surround them with fresh

compost and a little mulch. This spring will bring a world of new perennials

to plant. Many will be natives that will thrive in our climate with minimal

care and minimal water. Some to look for are ox-eye daisy, black-foot daisy,

skullcap, rudbeckia and gloriosa daisies. There will be tons of salvia and lantana

varieties to choose from.

10. Have fun! Above all, get outside and enjoy yourself. Nothing can be more

rewarding than eating homegrown vegetables and enjoying your own beautiful

landscape. Happy spring gardening everyone!