March In
Richmond, Va.
Here we are in March, Richmond Va. wondering… Or are
we?
Most of the “Gardeners” here know, It’s go time. Others, wait for the
media, to say “GO”. I’m sorry if you wait, we “Dirt Folks” , are ahead of you.
For the last few weeks, we have been watching birds, plants, sky color, and
aching bones, additional 2 1/2 hours extra daylight, to see when we need to go.
It’s now. Believe us.
OK, lemme clue you in. As the sky turns more blue from
grey, we start pruning what we didn’t finish in the Fall. We always know, there
will be another snow, and we count on it. Robins showing up, and neighbors
finally taking down old Christmas decor… Garden prep time is here.
It’s
March. What needs to be done now, needs to be done ri If you haven’t pruned your
Roses, get that done. Crape Myrtles are this month as well. Last ditch effort on
those tired ornamental grasses. Lawn? Pre-Emergent, NOW!! Sorry if you don’t get
that done if you follow our Lawn Sheet.. It will cost you more in about 45 days.
Way more.
Clean out any old fruit litter you may have missed. Have Stink
Bugs? They love old decaying fruit litter, so maintenance of your beds is
important.
Let’s talk lawn tools for a second. Oil them, sharpen them, or buy
new stuff. There. That’s it. You can’t build a house with a rusty screwdriver
and half a hammer. Can’t cook, with a 2 tined fork and 3 cracked glasses. Can’t
update your Facebook without a, well, I guess you can, but you get it.
By Now, if you started seeds indoors already, you are ready to feed
those babies. In a few days, they will be ready to take out and start hardening
off. If you haven’t, it’s now. Peppers, Tomatoes, Eggplant and Onions for the
summer garden. Cold Crops? Why are you waiting. GO. NOW. They are showing up in
plant form now in nurseries, so go ahead, plant them.
Garden Prep time is
now too. Solarizing beds starts now.
Solarizing Gardens
Solarizing is
simple.First thing is to finish clearing out your old beds. Rake out old rows
and fill in furrows. Till if you must, just be careful it’s not too wet, because
you can actually cause a compaction issue. Add more compost if you have it or
need it. Top dress with about a quarter inch of composted manure. Add a little
10-10-10 and a little lime, then water. Cover the entire bed with clear plastic
and place bricks or lumber around to hold in place. After a few weeks you will
see new gtowth from weeds and old veggie seeds, bugs will hatch as well. It’s
ok, it’s supposed to. Around early April, you should be growing and hatching the
bad stuff really good. Watch the weather and when you see the frost warnings
come out, simply take the plastic off that evening and let Ma Nature fry
everything that night. There. Done. This will give you a head start on no
chemicals for a while. That was easy.
Indoor Plants
March
is also a great time to re-pot those tired indoor tropicals. Always add new
potting mix as the old falls out when breaking up the rootballs. Go up one pot
size to get more production from them, or separate the babies sprouting out for
new pots. Time to start feeding again thru the season. Use insecticidal soap
solutions to treat for bugs. water good the first time after re-potting to help
settle the new soil.
Water Garden
Folks
I know its a hard
chore but it needs to be cleaned out too. Remove the leaf netting now and skim
out what you can. Don’t start feeding those fish until the water temp stays
above 58 degrees. If you had moved the pump closer to the water fall for Winter,
it’s time to put it back in the far end to get complete circulation now. Check
for new shoots on those plants, it’s time to propogate them as well.
In case you missed my
WWBT segment on “More bang for your buck” it’s out on their website
now.
Kevinthegarden's Blog 