March

March is the beginning of the garden year for most of us. True, some of us do start even earlier (I begin my garden cleanup in February). March is when trees begin to bloom and other unique things happen outside around us. It is when we first hear our spring peepers (which are frogs) singing in the creek bottoms. We can find the first signs of live around us, luring us into the garden. There are plenty of chores to do to get ready for the year. We can start with the lawn.

March Lawn Care

Now is the time to take care of some of your perennial broadleaf weeds, though you will get the best control in September and October. The best time to treat these weeds is on a day where you have 50^o F for more than 2 hours in the afternoon, so whichever chemical treatment you use, has time to dry.

Now is also a good time to prepare for and apply crabgrass preventer to the lawn. Crabgrass will begin to germinate when the soil temperature reaches 55^o F for 3 to 4 days in a row. So it would be wise to get a soil thermometer too. Or you can check current soil temperatures in Kansas at Kansas Mesonet.

March and April can also be a good time to apply seed to bare or thin areas of the lawn. However, do not put down seed where you have used crabgrass preventer, as the chemical will also keep your grass seed from germinating. Both Kentucky bluegrass and fescue lawns can be overseeded at this time.

It is also a good time to take the mower from winter storage, and do maintenance before the spring season. Change the oil, drain the old gas if you have not already, and fill with new. Be sure to check the air in the tires and replace or clean filters. Once it is ready to use, mow the lawn at 2 to 3 inches tall to remove winter damage to grass and chop leaf litter.

March Vegetable Gardening

It is time to prepare for the spring planting season! While I prefer to do most of my prep work in the fall for my no-till garden beds, there is still a lot to do in the spring.

Begin preparing the soil for planting by removing any leaf or mulch layer (take these to the compost), then apply a 1-2 inch layer of compost or well-composted manure. You can also add biochar, chopped leaves or leaf-mould, and/or organic fertilizers at this time. I would recommend getting a soil test done before adding any fertilizers. If you choose not to do a soil test, then just apply compost as your fertilizer.

When the soil temperature at 2.5 inches reaches 45^o F for 5 days in a row, then it will be time to plant cool season spring vegetables. The following vegetables can be planted:

• Potatoes
• Peas
• Onions
• Spinach
• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Lettuce
• Greens
• Kale
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli

Now is also the time to be preparing for and planting rhubarb crowns, asparagus crowns, horseradish roots, and strawberries.

If you have not already started, plant seeds inside or in a greenhouse for the summer. Now is the time to start peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, flowers, and herbs.

Fruit Care

While I do a lot more fruit pruning in February, fruit trees like peach, apricot, cherry, pear, and apple can still be pruned at this time. Once you have gotten you fruit trees pruned, or if you are in an off-pruning year, you can now apply dormant oil or copper fungicide as needed. Apply dormant oil to apples and pears, and copper to peaches and cherries. Apricots are more sensitive and usually do not need to be treated.

Peaches and nectarines should be treated with lime sulfur or copper fungicide to prevent peach leaf curl and brown rot.

Brambles can also be pruned at this time. See the post: Brambles-Growing Blackberries and Raspberries

As your strawberries begin to grow, remove any mulch from the plants to increase airflow around them. Now is the time to add fertilizer, preferably a nitrogen source. Urea is recommended at 1/4 lb. per 1000 square feet. You can also apply compost or compost tea.

Flower Garden Care in March

Annuals

I like to plant cool season flower the 3rd week of March at client’s houses or businesses. I bring new potting soil for containers or compost for beds. Once the soil is lightly tilled and the compost added, I plant the following annuals:

• Pansies
• Stock
• Snapdragons
• Ornamental Kale
• Nemesia

Perennials

If you have not done so, start cutting back perennial garden plants at this time. To provide for native bees, cut hollow stems down only to 12 to 18 inches tall. These include perennials such as:

• Ironweed
• Joe Pye weed
• Goldenrod
• Asters
• Thistles
• Native grasses
• Bee Balm

You can completely remove the old foliage of:

• Hostas
• Daylilies
• Iris
• Perennials shorter than 16 inches tall

If there are bareroot roses or perennials available, now would be a good time to get them planted into your garden, once the cleanup is done. Once planting is done, you can take a look around the garden, and see which perennials need to be moved or divided. And perennial or ornamental grass can be divided at this time. Extra divisions can be used to fill holes in the garden or gifted to local community gardens or friends.

Fertilize spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and alliums now, with bone meal. You can also use a balanced bulb food or compost/worm castings as fertilizer.

Set your mower deck to 2 inches high and mow over the tops of evergreen and deciduous groundcovers. Bag or mulch the debris. This will encourage new growth in your groundcovers.

Trees and Shrubs

Now is a good time to mulch trees and shrubs out in the landscape. I recommend an organic mulch, 3 to 4 inches deep, but not right up against the tree trunk or shrub plant stems. If possible, mulch outward past the dripline of trees, or at least in a 8 to 10 foot diameter ring from the trunk. You can always plant annuals, perennials, or groundcovers under the tree to make soft landings.

This can also be a good time to plant new trees and shrubs, as long as the soil is not too muddy. Remove any fall-placed tree wraps to allow for air movement and sunlight on the trunks. Check stakes on trees to see if they can be removed or if the trees need re-staked for the year. Tree stakes should not remain in place on the tree with out moving for more than 1 season at a time.

Pruning Shrubs

Prune summer-flowering shrubs such as:

• Japanese spirea
• Rose of Sharon
• Beautyberry
• Caryopteris
• Buttonbush
• Dogwood
• Ninebark
• Smokebush
• Diervilla
• Smooth hydrangea
• Panicle hydrangea
• Shrub roses
• Elderberry
• Snowberry & Coralberry
• Vitex
• Weigela

These shrubs, except panicle hydrangea, buttonbush, and shrub roses, can be cut back hard, nearly to the ground or around 4 to 6 inches tall. They will grow back and flush our with new stems before flowering in later spring and summer.

Other March Chores

Even though we are nearing the end of the winter, a lot of elderly still have cabin fever. Give the gift of houseplants, bird feeders (with feed), bird nest boxes (bluebird, robin, owl, wood duck), or early planted spring annuals!

It is a good time to sharpen and clean tools (if you forgot in the fall). Sharpen pruners, chainsaw chains, hoes, mower blades, and other sharp tools, then oil them to prevent rust.

Happy gardening!

This information is brought to you from Andrew Mitchell, Nursery Manager, Grimm’s Gardens; and K-State Research and Extension.