LOOK OUT, HERE COMES SPRING!
So…here are a few to do’s…

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The primroses are blooming and looking quite brilliants, bulbs are bursting our of the ground and into bloom, and the lawn….yep, it is starting to grow!  The first official day of spring this year is March 20th.  So it's time to get your spring gardening underway. Caring for the lawn, preparing the soil and planting vegetables, pruning roses, and starting seeds, head the list of things to do this month.

LAWN CARE – Venture out into the yard and take a good look at your grass.  How does it look?  If you have issues or problems and you need some diagnosing help then dig a four or five inch square plug from the lawn and either bring it into The Plant Farm at Smokey Point or take it to another nursery and ask for help. There is no reason you can’t have the lawn you’ve always wanted it might just take a little nudging to get it there . When we’ve finished, simply reset the plug back in the lawn. Most lawns will need a spring feeding. If moss is a problem, a combination fertilizer and moss killer can be applied, to do both jobs in one easy application. If thatching or liming needs to be done, do those jobs first. Reseeding (over-seeding) can be done as the last step, after the lawn has been fertilized.  

 VEGETABLES – It all begins with the dirt!  Take time to prepare the vegetable garden soil for planting. The addition of well-rotted manure, processed manure, peat moss or compost is good for building up compost humus in the soil. Perennial vegetables like Asparagus, Rhubarb, Horseradish and artichokes can be planted right now. Garden peas and sweet peas can also be planted now. Spinach, Chard, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts and other hardy vegetables can be seeded or set-out later in the month. March is a good time to plant fruit trees and berries too.  We have strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and huckleberries and don’t forget about the gooseberries!
 STARTING SEEDS - time to start tomatoes, lettuce, petunias, marigolds and many other flowers and vegetables from seed. Start the seeds indoors, in the home, a greenhouse, or in a sun window or on a sun porch. By starting seeds indoors in March you will get a thirty to sixty day jump on the gardening season, because you will have young starter plants to set-out when the weather warms later this spring. Seeds can be started in pots, trays, egg cartons or even in cottage cheese cartons.
 
PRUNE ROSES - All types of roses can be pruned this month.  For more specific details on how to prune the various types of roses check with one of our plant specialists or in your favorite garden book. Remember severe pruning results in nice long stemmed flowers and more attractive rose bushes.

PLANTING AND TRANSPLANTING - right now is one of the most convenient times for planting new fruit trees, roses, berries, and other deciduous plants. Get the pick-of-the-crop at The Plant Farm at Smokey Point. As for transplanting, it should be done as soon as possible, because many plants are already beginning to start their spring growth.  

WEEDING - probably one of the most over-looked and dreaded tasks is weeding. But, it is one that really needs to be accomplished before the weeds have a chance to flower and go to seed and really become a nuisance. Remember once the weeds go to seed you will be fighting that weed seed for up to seven years or more. And, it is not unusual for some types of weeds to produce up to ten thousand or more seeds per plant. Most weeds can simply be pulled or cultivated out of the garden. Others, some of the more persistent like horsetails, morning glories or quack grass you may need to use a herbicide to effectively eliminate them.

WATERING - Check the plants under the eaves of the house and under tall evergreens to see that they have sufficient moisture. Even with as much rain as we have had over the past several weeks, plants situated in these areas can be bone-dry and in desperate need of water.

PERENNIAL ROCKERY PLANTS - March is the month when many of the beautiful spring flowering perennials begin to flower. Aubrietia, Candytuft, Rock Cress, Bergenia and many others are not only nice rockery plants but are nice plants to use in perennial borders, landscape plantings or as perennial ground covers. are by clicking on the icon on the left of your page titled, Live Christmas Tree Care.