March Garden To-Dos
March: It’s the month everyone waits for when it comes to getting back out in the garden. While temperatures may reach the 70s and 80s, we can still experience freezes at any time through the month in most parts of the state. Keep your frost cloth handy to protect newly planted color and seedlings.
If you haven’t already, be sure to work organic compost into your landscape beds before you plant. Add compost and earthworm castings to the veggie garden.
While fall is truly the best time to plant trees and shrubs in Texas, March is the month you’ll find garden centers stocked to the gills with plant choices. Better to plant new trees, shrubs, and perennials in March than to wait until the summer heat arrives. You’ll also need to get your tomato transplants in the ground in March. In southern parts of the state, it’s time to plant other edible crops, such as peppers and eggplant. In northern parts of the state, wait until mid-April to plant these heat-loving vegetable crops. Plant annual color such as petunia, nemesia, lobelia, gerbera daisy, and more. It’s also time to start planting begonias and impatiens in southern parts of the state. Mulch all new plantings.
While you might be tempted to start feeding your lawn this month, resist the urge. Wait until you’ve mowed actively growing warm-season lawns two to three times before you fertilize. This usually happens either at the end of March or April.
Don’t forget to audit your irrigation system. Be sure to check for leaks, broken heads, or poorly placed heads in order to conserve water.
