March 2009: Around Your Garden! March Madness
The first day of spring arrives on the twentieth, and though it means the season has officially changed, it doesn’t mean the cold weather is over, and the timing may not coincide with the last frost date in your area. After a long winter, a bright day and a warm breeze simply make you want to plant something. The blooms of snapdragons, petunias, violas, marigolds, nasturtiums, and dianthus can handle the cool days. Vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach, potatoes, and onions will do fine as well. Just wait a little longer on warm days for favorites such as impatiens, caladiums, basil, and tomatoes. To learn about the last frost date in your area, visit www.victoryseeds.com/frost. You can also order seeds for flowers, vegetables, and herbs.
Flowers Up High
Vines offer great solutions for color, fragrance, and shade in tight spots in the garden. Good choices for your yard include fragrant, yellow-flowering Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens); ‘Tangerine Beauty’ crossvine (Bignonia capreolata‘Tangerine Beauty’), with its tangerine-red flowers; and red- or yellow-flowering trumpet honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens).
Smart Watering
Water efficiently this summer using drip hoses. Drip irrigation applies water slowly so it can be absorbed more efficiently. Make the task even more effective by connecting the hose to a mechanical timer at your hose bib, saving water, money, and time.
Roses
As the days become warmer and leaves begin to appear, feed with Bayer Advanced All-In-One Rose & Flower Care 9-14-9 or Vigoro Rose Plant Food 12-6-10. You can also amend the soil around the bases of your plants (topdressing) with composted manure or mushroom compost.
Editor’s Pick
For long-lasting blooms inside―six weeks or more―buy moth orchids. When selecting them, choose those that have just one or two flowers open but lots of buds. Place in bright, indirect light. Keep the planting medium slightly moist. Avoid cold drafts and areas around heating vents.
Fertilize
Feed cool-season lawns, such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass selections, now while they’re still growing rapidly. Use a slow-release, high-nitrogen fertilizer, such as 29-3-4. Wait and fertilize warm-season lawns, such as Zoysia, Bermuda, and St. Augustine, until after they turn green. If you have centipede, use a product that contains iron and is specially formulated for that type of grass.
