March 2021 Gardening Tips

What to SHOP for . . .

Trees - Tulip Magnolia, Flowering Cherry and Plum, Hawthorn.
Shrubs - Teucrium chamaedrys, Euonymus, Nandina, Ribes sanguineum.
Perennials - Euphorbia, Aquilegia (Columbine) Dicentra spectibilus, Helleborus, Pulmonaria angustifolia, Dianthus (Carnation).
Annuals - Calendula, Ornamental Poppies, Foxgloves.
Bulbs and Tuber - Tuberous Begonia and other summer blooming bulbs such as Dahlias and Gladiolus. Freesia can be planted in spring and fall.
Veggies - Swiss Chard, Potato tubers, Spinach.
Extras - Bait for slugs, snails, earwigs, cutworms and sowbugs, bamboo stakes, tie twine, insecticidal soap.

Ornamental Poppy also called Breadseed Poppy.

Tasks To Do

Weeding - Tops the list of things to do in the garden. If it feels too overwhelming, try weeding a few minutes at a time instead of tackling all the areas at once. Mary is right there with you, weeding a few hours after work each day. Learn more about How Weeds Grow and How to Manage Them.
Pest Management - Set yellowjacket traps out early in the season. The goal is to catch the queen and she's only out for 2 to 3 weeks once temperatures warm up in spring. Yellowjackets do eat some garden pests, so if you don't entertain outside much and don't mind a few yellowjackets flying around, there may be no need for you to put traps out. Spider Mites webbing can be washed out of shrubs with a strong spray from the hose. Aphids can be washed off with water but when infestation is too much insecticidal soap can be used. Aphids are attracted to some weeds so keeping weeds down helps keep the aphid population down too.
Fertilize- Rhododendrons, Roses, Cool Season Annuals-Iceland Poppies, Pansies, Primrose and Pomegranates.
No Tomatoes Yet- Although the sunshine is making many of you think of buying and planting tomato plants, you may want to wait. If you buy tomatoes now you may have many weeks of worrying about them and protecting them from frost and cold weather. Our frost dates in Sonoma County run from the end of October through mid to late April. If you must begin your tomato journey right now you can start seeds in a greenhouse setting. Mary's strategy is to purchase healthy, 4 inch tomato plants in April while the selection is good and keep them inside at night to protect them from frost; then plant tomatoes in the ground at the beginning of May (or when overnight temps have warmed up). The one exception to this is if your micro-climate tends to warm up early and does not get the frost the rest of the county gets.
Compost- When you have your compost delivered (if you are not planning to spread it right away), cover it with a tarp to prevent weed seeds from blowing in and landing on it. You may also want to put a tarp down first so clean up is easy once the pile has been spread (this also protects your concrete if you had the deliver dumped on it). To learn more about compost watch The Gardening Tutor video Mulch vs. Compost.
See the video of a healthy Kumquat bush? Learn more about how to care for citrus in our newsletter tips this month. Subscribe to receive your newsletter. Remember to confirm that you signed up or you will not receive it.