March Gardening Madness!
The month of March brings with it a fresh breath of spring air and a new season for gardeners to put their green thumbs to work. Typically by March, temperatures have risen to a crisp 70 degrees (at least), and plants and blooms have defrosted and shaken their stiff limbs loose from the harsh winter months. Keep in mind that it’s best to try and to finish your shrub and tree planting during March so plants can become well established before the summer heat moves in. Needless to say, be sure all frost has been removed from the ground before planting. We have compiled a short and sweet guide of the best gardening tips and the best plant suggestions for the glorious month of March.
If you didn’t get around to pruning your spring flowering and evergreen shrubs during February, do it NOW. However, be sure to prune spring flowering shrubs after they have bloomed. It’s also the ideal time to fertilize landscape plants – apply our Slow Release Fertilizer, always read and follow directions.
Here’s our list of what’s best to plant in March:
Vegetables and fruits – March is a great time to go ahead and get your warm-season veggies and fruits in the ground. Some of these crops include collards, tomatoes, sweet corn, squash, snap beans, and Swiss chard. Throughout the month, you can transplant tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant. Later this month you can plant cucumbers, Lima or butter beans, cantaloupe, okra, southern peas, pumpkin, squash, peanuts, and watermelon.
Bulbs – Spring and summer flowering bulbs can really perk up your garden. A few great bulb ideas for this time of year include Canna, Dahlia, and Gloriosa.
Annuals – If you have previously planted cooler-weather annuals such as dianthus, you should continue to see these blooms blossom during this time. You can also plant some warmer-weather annuals such as Wax begonia, Zinnia, and Angelonia this month.
Herbs – Warm temperatures are wonderful growing edible herbs. You can plant Ginger, Mint, Oregano,Rosemary , Sage, and Thyme. Hello delicious home cooking!
March Gardening Tips
Irrigation – With rainfall picking up the pace once again, this is a great month to ensure your irrigation and sprinkler systems are up and running correctly. Be sure to regularly adjust irrigation based on rainfall.
Pruning – If you currently have flowering trees and shrubs, be sure to prune following the fading of the last flowers and before the new buds set. The last part of the dormant season is a great time to prune. If you have roses, please visit our Roses Grow Guide.
Mulch – Adding mulch to your landscape allows for moisture conservation during this dry period following the winter season, and also reduces the growth of weeds. Visit our Mulch blog for more in-depth gardening information.
Pest & Disease Control – With the onset of spring comes to a host of insects and diseases that have been hibernating all winter long. Be sure to monitor your landscape to ensure that your newly blooming plants aren’t being hindered by insects or diseases.