Promises. promises

March 2013

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

 

Promises, Promises

 

By Paul Hang

 

Is there another month as fickle as March? In like a lion out like a lamb, or the other way around? A warm sunny day promises us that spring is here. A cold wind blows us right back to winter. March is how we get from February to April. March is full of mud and promises.

 

As I look through my seed catalogs, to see if I've forgotten anything, I see the promises. Huge fat juicy red tomatoes (or other colors if you prefer), flowers of spectacular size and hue. trees so burdened with fruit you wonder how the limbs can stand up under the weight, shrubs so full of perfect blossoms you wonder how a bee could choose one over the other, all these glossy photos promising us that we too can have these results. The descriptions are also full of promises. "Easy to grow, vigorous rapid growth, superior taste and excellent flavor, early harvest, long harvest, good storage ability!" and that's just the vegetables. Flowers, they assure us, will "bloom after others have faded, bloom all summer, care free, incredible large blossoms, smell good enough to eat, make a dramatic addition to arrangements."

 

One of my favorite promises is this description of an apple "This sweet beauty is absolutely unparalleled for fresh eating. One bite and we guarantee you will agree. This apple 'explodes' with a breaking crispness, tantalizing your taste buds with mouthwatering flavor and juiciness. …We've seen kids choose this over candy and sweets…also bears reliable annual crops." I had to exercise extreme self-control to keep from calling the 800 number. Does the fruit drop to the ground, roll over to the porch, jump into your hand and peel itself? More importantly, do the trees self-prune, do you have to spray them, are they impervious to frost? Promises promises. Gardening to those of us who enjoy it is not hard work but it is work. Anyone who promises you it isn't is not to be trusted.

 

There are other promises. Buds are visibly swelling on some trees and shrubs; sap is running in the circulatory systems of trees and some humans. Daylight savings time begins. Crocuses will bloom and daffodils. Tulips will continue to push up promising blooms in April or sooner. St. Patrick's Day promises that all of nature will soon be wearing o' the green Here's a promise you can count on; spring begins with the vernal equinox which arrives on March 20. That event really is the cause of all the other promises. March will be a promise kept.

 

Tuesday March 5th at 7pm at the Pickaway County Library we will hold an Information Meeting to answer questions about the Master Gardener program and the upcoming training program. Training is 50 hours of activities educating trainees about soils, botany, plant pathology, entomology and good gardening practices.

Things to do in the garden:

 

Begin fertilizing houseplants with a weak solution. March is not too late to try winter sowing. What is winter sowing? Google it.

 

Plan to start your seeds indoors for hardy plants (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels' sprouts, onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots). Wait till later in the month to start the half hearty plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. Always check the seed envelope for planting information.

 

Before those buds break spray trees with dormant oil. Read the directions.

 

Rake the lawn to remove the twigs leaves and other winter detritus.

 

Prune deciduous trees and shrubs that bloom in the summer. Prune spring flowering trees and shrubs after they bloom. Prune raspberry canes and grapevines and fall flowering clematis

 

Cut back perennials and ornamental grasses. Tying up the grasses before cutting saves a lot of clean up.

 

Pull back mulch from around perennials on warm days but be prepared to cover them back up if a hard freeze threatens.

 

Have your soil tested.

 

Once the soil can be worked plant lettuce, spinach, peas, beets, carrots, chard and radishes directly into the soil. Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs.

 

Late March and April is the time to apply a pre-emergent to the lawn to prevent crabgrass. But be forewarned, pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting. If you plan to seed any parts of your lawn, to repair damage from winter or from our summer drought, don’t apply a pre-emergent to those areas. This also applies to areas where you plan to plant other seeds, whether flowers or vegetables. If you still want to control crabgrass stay clear of those areas and apply on a calm day.