Marching Into Spring

I don’t know about you, but I am excited to see the spring equinox right around the corner on March 20. March is marching on. It is a strange month, in like a lion and out like a lamb, or vice versa. March Madness! Beware the Ides of March! Daylight savings time begins! March’s weather is unsettled. It promises spring but usually disappoints. About the only thing green you can count on is the beer on St. Patrick’s Day. But the promise of spring is definitely here. The sun is inexorably on its way to cross the equator marking the spring equinox (equal nights). Nothing can stop it, short of the end of the world, in which case the only gardening we’ll be doing is pushing up daisies. So be of good cheer, spring is coming!

March is a time when gardeners begin to get antsy; we’re ready to begin the growing season. We want to get out there and dig in the dirt! But don’t be too ambitious or you are sure to be stymied. Of course experiment. Start a few seeds of hardy plants out doors. If you are really impatient you can start some seeds indoors but keep in mind the last average date of frost around here is May 15 and it is not unheard of to have a frost in early June.

When my optimism has overcome my realism I plant flats of seeds in March but when the time comes to put them out safely, they are too “leggy” and if they survive, they don’t perform well. As they say, timing is everything. Depending on the plant, check germination tables or the seed packets to see when you should start your seeds. Ideally the seedlings will be vigorously growing when you begin to harden them off.

To give you an idea of how superstitious I am I start my seeds on April Fools’ Day, April first, just six weeks before the average last day of frost here in south central Ohio. Most plants are just ready, once they have hardened off, to go out on their own by mid-May. Half- hardy plants, like tomatoes, shouldn’t go out until Memorial Day unless you are prepared to cover them should frost be predicted.

There are a lot of tomato growers who approach it as a competitive sport. They want to be the first to produce an edible fruit. I am sure you’ve heard one of them casually remark, “I ate my first tomato yesterday.” They then wait expectantly for our incredulous response, “Really, wow, how did you do that?” If you don’t react they seem disappointed. Sometimes I don’t react just to get their goat. Or I’ll deflect their boast by saying “Did you know tomatoes are really berries?” This really confuses them. Try it -- the look on their face is worth it.

They use all sorts of techniques to get a jump on their friends and neighbors who also grow tomatoes. They must start their seeds during half time of the Super Bowl. They transplant them to all kinds of contraptions. Water filled plastic tubes, little portable greenhouses, fleece tunnels, red plastic mulch, abandoned cars; nothing is too bizarre for them. I know one guy who cheats by buying the plants with the biggest fruits from the local nursery. He rarely beats the truly dedicated. If you want to join in the competition by all means jump in. But don’t expect the tomato warriors to share their secrets. The whole point is to be first.

Put April 3 on your calendar. From 10am to 12 noon there will be a free apple-grafting workshop at Mt. Oval on South U.S. 23. Not only will you learn about grafting, but you will come away with a heritage apple tree. Heritage apples, also called antique or heirloom apples, are old varieties which often are disease resistant and don’t require all the fuss of many of the new varieties.

Things to do in the garden:
Indoor houseplants can be fertilized at half strength. As the sun becomes stronger and the days lengthen, houseplants will begin growing more vigorously.

March and April are good times to lightly fertilize your lawn, but just once. Make sure you read the directions on the bag.

When the weather permits, get a jump on tidying up chores. Rake leaves, pick up sticks, and dig up the biennial weeds that are trying to get a head start.

If you plan to start seeds indoors. Read up on the techniques and begin to make sure you have the equipment and supplies you will need. Don’t start too soon.