Spring will officially be here on March 20th and whether there’s still snow out where you are, or it’s already feeling like summer… Spring is a great time of year to start working on a few things in the gardening department.
In March, in addition to starting seeds indoors, gardeners with cold frames (see season extension techniques) may use them either to start an early crop of greens (especially spinach) or to start plants like broccoli that will later get transplanted outside the cold frame.
Each grow zone will be a little bit different when Spring finally does roll around, so we encourage you to do what you can and what the weather is permitting in your unique location.
Below is a list of chores that we’ve compiled to help give you some things to start thinking about this time of year.
- Plant summer bulbs.
- Read up on applying organic fertilizers.
- Remove winter weeds and edge plant beds.
- Cut flowers of spring-blooming bulbs and place them in water & a clean vase to enjoy indoors.
- Feed acid-loving plants such as azalea & rhododendron.
- Plant cold-hardy vegetables and herbs, such as onions, potatoes, peas, lettuce, rosemary, oregano, and thyme. (View more cold-hardy vegetables and herbs, here!)
- Feed your lawn with a high nitrogen fertilizer. (Or think about digging up your lawn to grow more fruits, veggies and herbs!)
- Remove weeds before they flower, to keep them from multiplying.
- Start seeds indoors. (Read our tips on how to start seeds indoors!)
- Amend soil by adding organic fertilizers and compost.
- Water fall-planted trees and shrubs once new growth appears.
- Sharpen hand tool blades, replace worn equipment, and re-string edgers and trimmers.
- Fertilize citrus and feed it monthly thereafter.
- Prepare vegetable beds for when the soil is warm enough to sow seeds or transplant tender plants. For tomatoes, that temperature is 55 degrees.
- Deadhead spent spring bulb blooms leaving the leaves to continue to produce food that will be stored in the bulb for next year’s blooms.
- Plant bare root trees and plants just as they are about to break dormancy.
- Apply mulch around the base of trees. This will help with water retention and prevent weed growth.
- Rid the yard of snails and slugs, using a natural or organic method that is pet/child safe.
- Take cuttings of roses, azaleas & geraniums to start new plants.
