Hi
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Winter aconite should be blooming soon
It’s March and here in Michigan we’ve just had a few really nice days. The redwing blackbirds, the sandhill cranes, the killdeer, the robins and the bees are all back. The snowdrops are blooming, and in some places, crocus. I found it odd that the honeybees on my porch were swarming some cracked corn I put out for the birds. There were snowdrops in bloom just below them and only a few bees were on them. I don’t know what they were getting from the corn.
And with a little warm weather people in Michigan are literally trying to plant their gardens outside. In March. In Michigan. We still have snowstorms in March. Heck, we sometimes have snowstorms in April. Anyway, it’s not about how warm the air temperature is that determines when to plant, it’s about the soil temperature and soil condition. (For more about soil temps and planting click on the link at the bottom of this blog post.)
The very first thing you should learn if you are gardening outside is what planting zone you are in, and when your average first and last frosts are. So much about good gardening practices revolves around that information. You can ask other gardeners, a local garden store, your County Extension office or look up this information. There’s a link to an interactive planting zone map below the blog.
Patience is a flower every gardener should cultivate. If you are a gardener in zone 7 or higher, your time to plant might be here. But all of you in planting zones 6 and lower, you need to be patient.
So let’s talk about March Gardening- zone 6 and lower
March is a tricky month for gardeners, especially in zones 5 and 6. The gardener is outside, walking the grounds, maybe seeing some early crocus in bloom in sheltered areas and hearing the robins sing. The urge is to get out there and do something in the yard.
Its amazing how anxious we are this time of year to jump into gardening. There are things gardeners can be doing but some things you do now cause more harm than good. Here are some safe things to do in your garden this month.
Seed starting
Late March is a great time to start things like tomatoes and peppers, which need a long time to grow into large transplants. Perennial flower seeds and herbs are also good to start early. In zone 6 and lower most other garden seeds shouldn’t be started inside until April. (If you are zone 7 or higher – some seeds can be planted outside now.)
And here’s a tip. Don’t start seeds inside if you can’t properly care for them. Most new gardeners start way too many seeds way too early in way too little light. You need grow lights if you don’t have a greenhouse or cold frame. Even sunny southern windowsills won’t be enough light if your seedlings are more than 2 inches from the window, which doesn’t give you a lot of space. (See the link below about cold frames.)
Almost any plant you want for your garden can be bought at a local greenhouse or even at big box stores. Unless you set up a greenhouse or a grow light unit, keep your seed starting to a few heirloom plants or unusual things you might not find locally. You’ll be happier with the results and the plants will probably be healthier.
When you
do start seeds inside- READ THE SEED PACKET DIRECTIONS. It will tell you
when
to start the seeds indoors or if you should start them indoors. The directions
will tell you how many weeks from your average last frost, counting backwards, to
start seeds inside or for your planting zone when to start outside. If you don’t
have a seed packet look the information up.
The only garden seeds that can be safely planted outside in March are garden peas. They can be planted as soon as the soil is thawed. Even snow won’t hurt them.
You can sow grass seed- yes even if it still snows. Just make sure that your ground is dry enough you don’t leave large footprints or spreader ruts in the soil. The ground should not be frozen when you apply the seed. But you can sprinkle grass seed on top of a light cover of snow without problems. For zone 5-6 gardeners late March and early April are ideal times for seeding lawns.
You can shop for plants and supplies- good companies will ship plants at the right time to plant. Some retail stores may get perennials in or bareroot roses and shrubs. Many perennials are shipped in from the south and are much more advanced than local plants. If you plant these outside now, you’ll probably get a lot of cold die back, which may or may not kill the plant. Let the store care for them a while longer, mid-April is a safer time to plant these in zone 6 and lower.
Dormant bareroot plants can be planted as soon as the soil has thawed. Do not let bareroot plants start growing without being planted in soil. Keep them cool and dark and remove any shoots that sprout until you can plant them. Don’t buy bareroot plants that have long sprouts or lots of leaves. These plants have used up a lot of reserves and have a much-reduced chance of survival.
Winter damage check up
Check for damage from rodents, rabbits and deer. Look at the bottoms of trees and shrubs to see if the bark has been chewed. If a tree or shrub is totally girdled, (the bark is eaten off all around the tree), it may die. Some shrubs and even trees may return from the roots.
You’ll want to give damaged shrubs and trees extra water and fertilizer as new growth begins to help them recover. Grafted trees, such as most fruit trees, come back from rootstock that is generally undesirable for fruiting. You’ll want to remove those trees if they are girdled.
Pruning and clean up
Pruning fruit trees and grape vines can still be done. Get a good pruning manual and follow the directions. You may be able to get pruning information at your County Extension office. Don’t prune fruit trees that are kept just for spring flowers, such as ornamental cherries and crabapples now as you will reduce the bloom.
It’s a good time to prune many ornamental trees. Don’t prune maples, birch, beech, or walnuts if the temperature is above freezing as it will cause heavy sap loss. Do not prune pines. Do not prune trees you want spring flowers from, like redbuds and magnolias.
Don’t prune off dead areas on semi-woody shrubs, clematis and roses for a bit longer. The dead area protects living tissue below it. If a cold snap comes and you have already pruned back to living tissue the cold may kill additional areas of the plant. You can prune buddleia right to the ground now but mark where it is as it is slow to start growing in the spring.
Some plants like arborvitae have darkened or reddish foliage right now from winter cold. Don’t prune that off. New buds will develop on those stems, or the plants will green up. Check later in May after deciduous trees have leaved out to see if there are dead areas to prune out.
Some clean up can be done now. Go cautiously here. Don’t remove protective mulches too early. Trim off dead leaves and stems carefully. Some of it is protecting the crowns of the plants. Mums for example, need to be budded out before all the old stems are removed. You may want to leave stems a few inches above ground for now. Stems also show you where plants are located.
You can cut back, or if you like drama, burn off, the old leaves of ornamental grasses now. Be careful with fire in early spring when things may be dry and there’s a lot of debris to burn. You may need a permit to burn grasses, leaves, or burn off ditches.
Don’t worry about overwintering beneficial insects too much as you clean up. If you compost what you remove or take your debris off to a far corner to sit, they will be fine. But if you don’t mind a messy look, don’t even clean up most of the left-over leaves and stems, they will quickly rot away with warm weather. Do remove thick matted layers of leaves down to a light layer though.
Other garden chores
You can apply dormant oil sprays. A dormant oil spray is part of the good pest management program for fruit trees. It is also used for some insect problems in ornamental trees. It can be applied when the weather is above 40 degrees but below 80 degrees.
Build new beds. If your ground is dry enough to walk on and use equipment without making deep imprints and ruts, you can start new garden beds. Mix your soil and amendments and get everything ready to plant.
Apply manure and compost. If you use manure now is the time to apply it generously to empty beds, go lightly on occupied ones. Compost is good for all beds but don’t add it until the ground is thoroughly thawed and don’t make it too deep over existing plants.
Turn the compost pile or start a new one. Turning the pile will help it warm faster and get it cooking again after winter. If you don’t have a compost pile, find a good spot to start one and get going.
Clean and sharpen garden tools. Check mowers for any needed parts and sharpen the blades or replace with new ones. Clean out your garden shed. Check your garden hoses. Stock up on potting soil and buy your seeds while the selection is good. Better to spend a day shopping for garden supplies while it is still brisk and wet outside, rather than a warm sunny one when you would rather be working outside!
Clean out, repair, and replace bird houses. The birds are returning from the south and looking for nesting spots. Keep your feeders full, there’s not much native food left this time of year. It’s too early for hummingbird feeders (zone 6 and lower), the fluid may freeze and crack the feeder, and the hummers probably aren’t coming back until mid April at the minimum. If you do see a stray one, put up the feeder, and bring it in on cold nights. Orioles probably won’t be back until April either, but if you see them, grape jelly in a dish is a good alternative to nectar.
Remember to stay off your soil if it is too wet. You will compact it and cause a lot of damage to soil structure. It’s too wet if you pick up a handful of soil, squeeze it, open your hand and it stays in a clump. That’s too wet to walk on or plant.
One of the things you can do is plan. That may mean sitting in the sun and daydreaming or walking around measuring and drawing plans. Good plans make great gardens. Spring is coming. But a good gardener knows how to satisfy the urges without damaging the plants.
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Snowdrops
I
grow plants for many reasons: to please my eye or to please my soul, to
challenge the elements or to challenge my patience, for novelty or for
nostalgia, but mostly for the joy in seeing them grow. – David Hobson
So, enjoy
the nice weather but take it slow
Kim
No part of this blog may be reproduced or published
without permission.
Links you
might enjoy
https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/know-your-garden-zone.html
Growing snowdrops
Soil temperature and planting
https://gardeninggrannysgardenpages.blogspot.com/p/soil-temperature-and-planting.html
https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/
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