What to plant in March

What to plant in March

Here's some things to consider!

PLANTING
* Plant natives and drought-tolerant plants until the weather warms mid-month.
* Plant non-native and non-drought-tolerant trees, shrubs, vines, perennials and ground covers after the last freeze.
* Start summer vegetables, herbs, flowers, perennials and biennial seeds in pots.
* Direct-seed cool-season edibles.

WATERING
* Lightly spray new seedbeds.
* Water seeds in pots by setting each pot in a pan with an inch or so of water.

FERTILIZE
* On a day that rain is in the forecast, feed your lawn.
* Fertilize permanent ground covers, lawns, ornamental shrubs and trees with an all-purpose plant food such as Gro-Power Plus, or Dr. Earth Organic 7 All Purpose Fertilizer.
* For orchids and cacti, apply a growth formula such as Dyna-Gro Liquid Grow Plant Food.

MAINTENANCE
* Check to see if your banana plants are rotting because of excess rain water.
* Check trees for iron and zinc deficiencies. If they have signs of chlorosis and you’ve already fed them a supplement, then you are probably over-watering.
* Prune frost-damaged plants only after the wather warms and new growth is visible.
* Remove dead wood from native plants.
* Prune well-established topical hibiscus and pinch the tips of fuchsia to encourage bushy growth and flowering wood.
* Do your grafting.
* Heavy pruning for some citrus. You may want to share your cuttings with fellow gardeners.
* Keep a close eye on the temperature; you may be able to take out those plants out of winter storage.
* One last chance to do light pruning, be careful.
* Screen your compost if necessary.
* Trees start flowering, keep an eye on your fruit trees like cherimoyas; you may have to start hand pollination.

PEST CONTROL
* Take out those weeds, do not allow them to flower or you shall pay later with more weeds.

Lots of good advice. Thank you for sharing. Cheryl