March 2018 gardening advice

by Jennifer Fairfield

I think March came a little early this year – at least it seemed like it, with the wind we had last Sunday! It has let up a little since then, but March really does seem determined to come in like that proverbial lion this year, doesn’t it? It does look like we may have seen the worst (if not the last quite yet) of winter, though. The predictions for the next couple of weeks are for high temperatures above freezing every day, and nighttime lows above normal for this time of year – only going a little below freezing most nights. I’m hopeful that, just maybe, we might see spring before Memorial Day this year!

March can be a very challenging month for gardeners. We’re seeing more sunshine (at least in terms of length of day), but it’s generally too wet and still too cold to really do much outdoors. There’s still a lot we can be doing to get ready for outdoor gardening, though.

Indoors:

• The most important task for March is to finish putting together a plan for your garden this month. Having a plan will help you know what you need to buy, in terms of seeds, plant supports, tools, etc. You don’t necessarily stick to your plan precisely – I always leave room for something I find that I just can’t live without, and I’m often moving things around when it comes to actual planting time.
• March is the time to get a lot of seeds started, if you are growing your own plants from seed. Early in the month, I get my parsley started.  I typically start broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, head lettuces, and kale mid-month, along with most of the rest of my herbs. Basil can wait until the end of the month. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant should wait until early April to get started. Those warm-weather lovers really shouldn’t be put out in your garden until about two weeks after the last frost, which generally means that Memorial Day Weekend is when they get planted outdoors around here. If you start plants too early, and the weather doesn’t cooperate, they may not do as well.
• If you are starting flowers from seed, early to mid-March is the time to start zinnia, and mid to late March is the time to get a number of others going, including amaranth, catmint, cleome, gaillardia, nigella, stock and thunbergia.  Echinacea should be started by the end of the month.
• March is also a great month to repot any of your indoor plants that have outgrown their current pots – it helps to scratch that gardening itch while you wait impatiently to get outdoors. Start fertilizing your indoor plants again in March, too. When repotting, it is generally best to go up in pot size by no more than an inch or two in diameter and depth. Fine Gardening has some good tips on how to repot plants. When repotting, consider dividing larger plants so that you don’t end up with a huge plant in a really heavy pot. If you don’t have room for all the new small plants, you could give some away. They make great gifts that brighten up anyone’s day!
• If you stored tender bulbs over the winter, check them now and discard any that are soft, damaged or diseased.
• If you potted bulbs for forcing last fall, check their progress. When your bulbs get a few inches of growth, it’s time to move them into a cool (60 degrees) sunny spot, but not in direct sunlight.  Once they have flowered, move them into a warmer spot, but keep them out of direct sunlight to help the blooms last longer. For even longer lasting blooms, provide cooler nighttime temperatures.

Outdoors:

• Take a walk around your yard and look for damage done to trees and shrubs by weather and animals. Prune off any damage you find.
• Early March is usually a good time to prune trees and shrubs that you haven’t gotten to. This year may be an exception to that rule, because of the warmer temperatures. I’m not a tree expert, but I would be a little concerned that the warmer days we are experiencing may mean that the trees come out of dormancy early this year, and that there are more insects getting going early. Both of these make pruning an iffy proposition now, as they can lead to damage to your freshly pruned trees. Pruning can spur new growth when temps are above freezing, and that new growth is vulnerable to damage when the temps suddenly drop below freezing (which you know will happen at some point in March, right?). Pruning oak trees when it’s warmer is especially not a good idea, as it can attract insects that spread the deadly Oak Wilt disease. So I’m going to go out on a limb (yes, pun intended) and say it may be too late to do any pruning that isn’t absolutely necessary right now. There will be time later in the year to do it, though. For now, only prune dead or damaged branches. And definitely don’t prune your early spring flowering trees and shrubs yet (forsythia, azalea, quince, witch hazel, lilacs, etc.).  You will reduce the number of flowers you get if you do, so wait until after they have flowered to prune these. Penn State Extension offers tips on when to prune what shrubs, and the Arbor Day Foundation helps with information on tree pruning.
• As tempting as it is to get out and get to work in the yard and garden, stay off the lawn and out of garden beds as much as possible while the ground is wet. Wet soil is easily compacted by walking on it at this time, and compacted soil doesn’t drain well, which means it will be wetter even longer. Soil compaction also means there isn’t good aeration, which is necessary for plant root survival.
• On drier days, do take a walk around and look for plants that may show signs of frost heave. This occurs when wet soil freezes and expands, causing the roots of your plants to push up and out of the soil, which can be harmful or even deadly to your plants. Gently press them back down into the soil, and then cover them with a good layer of mulch to help prevent this from happening again. For more information of frost heave, and how to prevent it, check out this article from the Missouri Botanical Garden.
• While you’re out checking for frost heave, pull any weeds you find in your flower beds. This will make the spring chore a little easier, and it gets you outdoors and in the garden – as long as the ground isn’t too wet!

Birds:

• Some of our migrating birds will be returning to Michigan this month, looking for places to nest. Providing them with food, water, and shelter will get them to hang around in your yard – which is great for a few reasons. Birds can be very entertaining to watch, and can provide you with hours of fun, but the best reason to encourage them in your yard if you’re a gardener is that they eat lots of insects! So, this month, clean out any nesting boxes you have in your yard to welcome the weary travelers home. Replace any that are worn out or broken, and provide your birds with easy access to nesting materials. This article from The Habitat Network gives lots of pointers on how and what to do to help your birds nest in your yard.
• Keep feeding the birds! Feeding the birds at this time of year helps them keep up their energy, as they are looking for nesting spots, and finding nesting materials – did you know that some male wrens will build as many as 3 to 10 nests to show off to prospective females? They need lots of energy to do that! Feeding also helps birds preserve their energy for staying warm on cold March nights. So, keep filling up those feeders.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.