Spring is finally here! March is the busiest month for gardening. There is so much to be done. This is a great time to plant almost every landscape plant.
Spring into action…Add some color to your landscape by planting blooming perennial plants. As a bonus, these plants will also attract butterflies and hummingbirds.
Be Prepared – There is still a chance of freezing weather, so be prepared to give your tender plants some protective covering.
Plant – This is a great time to begin planting a variety of plants. The sooner you get the plant in the ground, the sooner it will will take root. This is key to the plant surviving the hot, stressful summer.
Renew the mulch around your trees and plants if it has decomposed or washed away. Mulch helps to conserve soil moisture, and keeping the root systems cooler during the hot summers. It can also add low amounts of nutrients as it breaks down.
This is also a great time to start hanging baskets of colorful annuals like petunias, begonias, and impatiens.
Fertilizing – Begin fertilizing roses every 4 to 6 weeks from now until September.
Fertilize vegetables about a month after growth starts with nitrogen fertilizer. Fruit and pecan trees should be fertilized this month with nitrogen. Apply the fertilizer beneath the ends of the branches, never against the trunk.
Shrubs and annual flowers can be fertilized with a complete, balanced fertilizer. Slow-release formulas will feed your plants over a longer time period.
Watch for aphids. They tend to rapidly build up on new growth. You can control them with insecticide.
Lawns – Get all mower repairs done and begin your mowing regime. This will help control winter weeds. The best way to prevent weeds is with a proper routine of mowing, fertilizing and watering.
If you had a weed problem last year, this is a good time to apply a weed preventer (pre-emergence herbicide). Follow label directions carefully.
You should wait another month to fertilize your lawn. Turfgrass spring green up is a result of the nutrients stored by the grass last fall. Fertilize in April after actively mowing several times. This will help develop a stronger root system and the grass will be more resistant to the summer stress.
Pruning – Now is the time to finish pruning all evergreen and summer flowering trees and shrubs. However you should only prune after they have bloomed.