1. Spring vegetable gardening Plant those warm season crops. This
list includes beans, black-eyed peas, okra, squash, cantaloupe, tomatoes,
peppers, cucumbers, watermelon, corn, and eggplant. There is still time
to plant cooler season crops like lettuce, radishes, and carrots.
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2. Fertilize your garden Do this organically with compost. Other
sources of nutrition are dried fish flakes and organic fertilizers form-
ulated for garden use. You can also use liquid fertilizers, such as fish
emulsion and seaweed extracts.
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3. Control weeds Keep them down with mulch and by weeding a
little bit every day.
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4. Plant spring annuals This is the perfect time. Work some com-
post into your flower beds and you will give these new plants just the
food they need to flower through the summer. Here are some ideas:
begonias, zinnias, marigolds, petunias, coleus, periwinkle, cosmos,
larkspur, portulaca, and purslane.
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5. Plant perennials Choose some of your favorites from the exten-
sive lists available, or visit your neighborhood nursery and browse.
Look for the many varieties of drought tolerant and showy lantanas
and salvias. Also blackfoot daisies, skullcaps, purple coneflowers,
black-eyed Susan, plumbagos, columbines, rockrose, ruella, and
verbena.
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6. Ornamental grasses Native varieties are best due to their heat
and drought tolerance. My favorites are big muhley, coastal muhley
and the maiden grasses. For a short grass in a very dry place, you
might like Mexican feather grass. It is blond-colored, reaches 1.5
foot in height, and makes a beautiful accent plant that moves so
gracefully with the slightest breeze.
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7. Fertilize lawn Use a slow release organic fertilizer. The 3-1-2 ratio
is best. Allow 10 pounds of fertilizer for every 1,000 square feet of
lawn. Mowing height should be 2.5 inches for St. Augustine grass
and 2 inches for Bermuda and zoysia. I like to return the grass clipp-
ings to the turf. These clippings act as a mulch and help to reduce
weeds. Water infrequently and deeply to encourage a deep root system.
This practice will train your lawn grass to be more drought tolerant
and help to conserve water.
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8. Fertilize shrubs, trees Mulch with a compost-mulch blend to prov-
ide nutrients and conserve water. Deep, infrequent watering of shrubs
and trees will encourage deep, drought tolerant root systems. Remem-
ber to seal pruning cuts on oak trees. It might save them from oak wilt.
Happy springtime gardening everyone!
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