March 2019 Gardening Advice

submitted by Jennifer Fairfield–the Garden Mill, Chelsea

Let’s Start Gardening – Indoors, Anyway!

In my opinion, spring can’t get here soon enough! Judging by the comments lately, I’m not alone in that feeling. We’ve had lots of people coming into the store the last little bit, looking for some sign of spring, since the world outside isn’t providing it. Fortunately, we’ve been getting in lots of new merchandise that has been giving people that breath of fresh air that they are looking for.

Since spring doesn’t seem to be in any hurry to get here, we’ll have to settle for doing things to get ready for when it finally does show up.

Indoors:

•  If you haven’t finished planning your garden for the upcoming season, don’t wait any longer! Having a plan will help you know what plants to buy seeds for. If you wait to get your seeds until it warms up, you may not get the varieties you want. You don’t need to 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.
• If you are planning for a flower garden this year – whether adding to an existing one or starting a new one – consider native plants to help our native bees and butterflies. The Wildflower Association of Michigan has a fabulous conference happening next weekend, with guest speaker, Dr. Doug Tallamy, a widely regarded expert on the subject of native plants. Details for the conference are here.
• Speaking of seeds, March is the time to start many of them indoors, 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 all of the herbs, except basil, which I start around the end of the month.
• Around the end of the month or the first part of April, tomatoes and peppers should be started so that they will be mature enough to be planted by Memorial Day, which is always my target date for getting those in the garden. Waiting until the end of May to put these warm-weather lovers in the garden almost guarantees that there is no danger of frost, which these plants really can’t handle. For some details on starting tomatoes, Renee’s Garden offers some good tips on their website.
• 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.
• Begin fertilizing indoor plants that you were letting rest over the winter. Also, now is a great time to re-pot any of your indoor plants that need it – before you get so involved with everything that needs to be done outdoors that you can’t get to them. If some of your plants are getting really big, split them into a few smaller ones so that you don’t have one huge plant that you can’t move! If you don’t have room for all those little ones, give them away as gifts!
• 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:

• Have you walked your property to see how much damage was done by last weekend’s wind? Winter weather and animals can cause a great deal of damage to trees and shrubs. Prune off any damage you find sooner rather than later.
• Be sure to finish any pruning that needs to be done yet by mid-month. Don’t wait until the weather starts to warm up to do this task. It’s not good for your trees and shrubs for all kinds of reasons, including making them vulnerable to insects and disease that are active in warm weather. There are some trees and shrubs that will do better being pruned later in the year, mostly those that flower really early, but everything else should be done while it’s still below freezing most days.
• We’ve had a lot of ice this winter, which is unusual – that’s usually March weather, not January and February weather! Since we can still expect ice and freezing rain this month, be sure to spread ice melt carefully on sidewalks and driveways to avoid damage to nearby plants. Consider using sand or sawdust instead, or some of the “safer” ice melts available these days. Purdue University’s extension service has a great deal of information on salt damage and alternative products, as well as offering a long list of plants that are more tolerant of salt for you to consider planting in areas where that might be a concern.
• As the temperatures start to warm up and the snow begins to melt, check plants to make sure they have not been pushed out of the ground by frost heave. If they have, gently press them back down to prevent damage to the roots and plant. Then give the plant a good layer of mulch to protect from future thaw and re-freeze cycles that are bound to happen this month.
• Try to stay off the lawn and out of garden beds as much as possible as things begin to thaw. Wet soil is easily compacted by walking on it at this time, and compacted soil is very difficult for anything to grow in.
• If the soil is workable at all later this month, consider doing a soil test so that you know what your plants or grass need before you start adding fertilizers. We carry a very good at-home test kit at the store, or you can send away for a more comprehensive test kit from the MSU extension.

For the birds:

• Continue to feed them! The options for food in nature are really slim for birds at this point, so give them as much help as you can. Pretty soon, they will return the favor by eating the insects that start showing up in your garden. Also, continue to provide water for them. With the freezing temps we continue to have, it is difficult for birds to find a source of drinking water. Provide such a source in your yard, and they will literally flock to your yard.
• Clean out nest boxes, or put up new ones. Many birds will begin to scout out nesting sites this month, so cleaning out existing houses or putting up new ones now will encourage them to take up residence at your home – and they’ll be feeding their young with insects from your yard this spring!
• While you’re planning your garden this month, keep the birds in mind. Consider varieties of trees, shrubs and other plants that can provide sources of nesting places, shelter, or food for birds. Both the Audubon Society and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology have great information for choosing plants that are beneficial for birds.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.