Details

Written by Dr. Leonard Perry Dr. Leonard Perry

If you’re like most in the Northeast, you’re ready for spring to be here in March, when the days become longer than the nights once again.

This is really true for most gardeners. While you can’t spend too much time in the garden yet, here are 10 projects to get you through until the real gardening fun gets underway in May.

1. If you haven’t been browsing seed and plant catalogs, or checking out these firms online, don’t wait. Lots of new varieties, particularly perennials, sell out quickly. If you’re starting flowers from seeds, you want to order them as some are started this month and many next month.

 

2. There are many home-and-garden shows, garden seminars, and symposia you can make plans to attend. For example, the Philadelphia Flower Show returns March 11–19.

 

3. Easter is approaching, so it’s a great time to visit local greenhouse growers to see all the Easter flowers and even bring some home: Easter lilies, azaleas, potted bulbs, and even cut flowers.

 

4. If you have houseplants, fertilize them if you haven’t done so in a few weeks, and check them closely for pests. If dusty, give them a rinse in the shower or wipe leaves with a damp cloth. If they dry out quickly, and roots are totally filling the pot, perhaps you need to repot them.

 

5. Many varieties of flowers and vegetables can’t be purchased locally, so you’ll need to start them yourself from seeds. This really is easy, and there is not much better in spring than to watch new plants growing indoors.

Inventory your seed-starting supplies or, if you don’t have any, make a list of what you’ll need. Visit a garden supply store to stock up.

 

6. March is the month to start some seeds, but not all. Start too many too soon, and you’ll run out of space and plants will get too leggy. Since it is about eight to 10 weeks before you’ll be planting seedlings outside, some of those to start now indoors include ageratum, coleus, dianthus, dusty miller, annual geranium, impatiens, American marigold, ornamental pepper, petunia, salvia, and snapdragon.

 

7. When any snow has gone, you can begin cleanup of beds. Remove straw or winter mulch from strawberries, garlic beds, and from around roses or tender perennials. Rake leaves from beds. Cut back perennials if you didn’t do so already last fall.

 

8. When days are slightly warm or sunny, you can prune any broken branches from shrubs and trees, or prune fruit trees to shape them. Pruning when it is too cold may damage the plant tissues and set their growth back this spring.

 

9. If you didn’t clean your garden tools the end of last season, do so now. Check to make sure none need replacing, and to see if pruners or hoes need sharpening. You can do this yourself with sharpening stones, those with diamond bits being the best. If you have mowers or power tools, now is a good time to get them tuned up.

 

10. If you have some spring-flowering trees and shrubs, such as forsythia, crabapples, or pussy willows, cut some branches to force into bloom indoors.

When buds show color, you can bring them into more warmth and use them in arrangements. They’ll remind you that spring is not too far off!

 

Dr. Leonard P. Perry is an extension professor at the University of Vermont.