Old Desire

March 2016

PICKAWAY TO GARDEN

 

Old Desire

 

By Paul Hang

 

“March is outside the door/Flaming some old desire/As man turns uneasily from his fire,”

This part of a poem by David McCord pretty well sums up my feelings this time of year. The problem is my feeling depends on the weather at the time. On a nice day the desire is flamed. On a lousy day I have no desire whatever to turn from my fire. March is conflicted and stirs conflicts in us. March is outside the door but also indoors, in us.

 

The old desire is to get out there and dig in the dirt, to plant something. It seems like only yesterday we were putting away our tools and feeling grateful for the break. Then again it seems like ages since we’ve seen anything growing. We miss the green. All those seed catalogs have accomplished what their authors intended. We are chomping at the bit, and yet…. What causes the hesitation? Could it be the uncertainty, the unpredictable nature of the month? What if we jump the gun and our efforts are nipped in the bud by frost?

 

If March comes in like a lion there is no guarantee it will go out like a lamb. It just might also go out like a lion. We can experience all the weather conditions of the year in March; from the stinging cold of winter through the balmy damp of spring to the promising warmth of summer and the ominous cool of autumn. In March the weather is so unpredictable, not by the forecasters, they try, but by us. We don’t know how to react. We are uneasy. In March spring is just around the corner but it depends upon which corner you reside.

 

This month sees the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Daylight savings time begins on the 13^th , St. Patrick’s Day is on the 17^th, the vernal equinox on the 20^th, the full moon on the 23^rd and finally Easter on the 27^th. The March full moon is called the Worm Moon or some refer to it as the Sap Moon, both for obvious reasons. The robins will harvest the worms and we will harvest the sap. March is how we get from February to April. Enjoy the trip. Just think, six months from now we’ll be in September.

 

March is also the beginning of the season when the door to door tree trimmers will offer to “prune” your trees cheap. You get what you pay for. To get more information about pruning trees go to www.ohio-line.osu.edu. For information about caring for your trees go to www.arborday.org and www.treecaretips.org. For a list of certified arborists, go to www.isa-arbor.com. Your trees are a valuable asset to your property, to our community and to our environment. Be a smart and conscientious citizen and gardener.

 

Things to do in the garden:

 

Begin fertilizing houseplants with a weak solution. Now is a good time to propagate houseplants. March is not too late to try winter sowing. What is winter sowing? Google “winter sowing” for more information. Have your soil tested. Materials and directions are available at the OSU Extension Office.

 

The last average frost date here in zone 6 is April 23^rd. A number of seeds should be started this month. Check your seed packet for the number of days for germination and count back from the date you want to set out your plant. The last average frost date means there is a fifty-fifty chance of frost on that date. That’s the same odds as flipping a coin. A word to the wise, don’t set out your plants too early unless you are prepared to protect them should the odds work against you.

 

Start your seeds indoors for hardy plants (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels' sprouts, onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots) if you haven’t already. You can set them out later in the month weather permitting. Most flower seeds, annuals or perennials, can also be started. Wait till later in the month to start the half-hearty plants like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant unless you are prepared to transplant to a larger container.  Always check the seed envelope for planting information. Once the soil can be worked (see below) plant lettuce, spinach, kale, peas, beets, carrots, chard and radish seeds directly into the soil. Onion sets and potatoes can be planted.

 

Rake the lawn to remove the twigs, leaves, and other winter detritus. Dig out those biennial weeds before they get established. Now is a good time to plant trees and shrubs and bare root roses. The earlier you transplant perennials the better they will do. When is the soil ready to be worked? Soil that sticks to your spade is too wet to work and will be compacted. Make a ball of soil and drop it. If it crumbles it is ready to work. 

 

Before those buds break spray fruit trees with dormant oil. Read the directions. Prune damaged diseased and dead limbs. Also, prune those limbs that grow inward, suckers and water sprouts. Do not remove more than a third of the tree. 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 them back to about six inches 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.

 

Late March and April is the time to apply a pre-emergent to the lawn to prevent crabgrass. The best indicator for this is the first bloom of Callery Pear. 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 droughts, 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. Stay clear of those areas and apply on a calm day. A light fertilization of the lawn is all you’ll need. Fall fertilization is best.