March
2021
PICKAWAY TO GARDEN
Snowdrops
By Paul Hang
Snowdrops have been revealed now that
raindrops and warmer temperatures have arrived. They were waiting there under
the snow. Every year they surprise me. Can we hope that there will be no more
snow drops? We can hope. Maybe we can have that best of snow when everything
turns white but the roads remain clear and dry. Just one more snow, that
doesn’t need shoveling; one more to enjoy, appreciate and remember fondly for
the rest of the year.
March is so unpredictable and unsettled. It
is the adolescence of the year. A period we live through, thrilling at times,
glad when it is over. A wag once said, ”March
is how we get from February to April.” March first is the beginning of
meteorological spring. It’s like waiting for your 21st birthday. It
takes forever and then, before you know it, it’s here. True, astronomical
spring won’t arrive until March 20th.
Last March my column was about the pandemic
and how planting a garden would be a good way to spend our time. The pandemic
is still here and it is still a good time to plant a garden. It seems that a
lot of people took my advice because seeds and gardening supplies sold out. It will
probably be the same this year so get your orders in right away.
Buds
are visibly swelling on some trees and shrubs; sap is beginning to run in the
circulatory systems of trees and some politicians. Daylight savings time begins
soon. 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 wearin o’ the green. For now, the only green to be seen
will be the beer.
March is also the beginning of the season when the door
to door tree “trimmers” will offer to “prune” your trees cheap. Topping trees
is not good pruning. Information about pruning trees is at
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. The City of Circleville has a Comprehensive Tree Plan. You can
find it at ci.circleville.oh.us, in the search box type Tree Plan. There you
will find lots of information on trees and regulations for public trees that
belong to all of us.
Things to do in the
garden:
If
you feed the birds, don’t stop now. March and April are the toughest months for
them. Food is scarce. New fruits, insects and seeds are a long way off and the
old ones have been eaten. March is also time to clean out bird houses and ready
for the nesting season.
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 normally available at the OSU Extension Office.
The
last average frost date here in zone 6 is April 23rd. A number of
seeds should be started this month. Check your seed packet for the number of
days to harvest and count back to the date you want to plant your seeds or set
out your plants. 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. The old rule of Memorial Day is
the safest for tender plants like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant.
Start
your seeds indoors for hardy plants (beets ((yes you can)), broccoli, Brussels'
sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, onions, garlic, leeks, and shallots). You
can set them out later mid-month weather permitting. Wait till later in the
month to start the half-hardy plants like tomatoes, eggplant and peppers,
unless you are prepared to transplant to a larger container. Most flower seeds,
annuals or perennials, can also be started. Always check the seed envelope for
planting information. Once the soil can be worked (see below) plant lettuce,
spinach, kale, peas, beets, carrots, chard, collards and radish seeds directly
into the soil. Onion sets and potatoes can be planted directly into the soil.
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.
If
you cut back perennials and ornamental grasses (tying up the grasses before
cutting them back to about six inches saves a lot of clean up), don’t throw
them in the trash or onto the compost pile. Store them until we have a few warm
days to give overwintering insects a chance to emerge. 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, most pre-emergents prevent seeds from sprouting. Apply pre-emergent
on a calm day. There are now selective pre-emergent that do not affect grass seed.
If you plan to seed any parts of your lawn, don’t apply a non-selective to
those areas. This warning also applies to areas where you plan to plant vegetables
and flowers by directly seeding in the soil. A light fertilization of the lawn
is all you’ll need.
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