By Jennifer Fairfield, owner the Garden Mill
We all know that the weather can be fickle in Michigan, especially in March.
So, get outside to get some things done when the weather cooperates, and when it doesn’t, there is plenty to do indoors.
On one of the nicer days coming up, take a walk around your yard and look for damage done to trees and shrubs by the weather. Trim those back and clean up the downed branches early, so that they are out of the way when mowing season begins.
Finish up any pruning you need to do early in the month – some trees are already showing signs of coming out of dormancy, and pruning later in the month could cause new growth that is vulnerable to late cold snaps.
The USDA Forest Service has great information on pruning available online. They also offer a terrific Tree Owners’ Manual that provides lots of helpful details on choosing, planting, and caring for trees.
While you’re pruning your trees and shrubs, bring spring indoors early by forcing branches of forsythia, pussy willow, cherry, and other flowering shrubs and trees. Find out how from this article from the Iowa State University Extension Service.
On a warmer day (just because it’s nicer to be out when it’s warm) check perennials to make sure they have not been pushed out of the ground by frost heave. If they have, gently press them back down to prevent damage to the roots and plant. Follow up with a good layer of mulch to protect from future thaw and re-freeze cycles that are bound to happen this month.
Early spring is generally a pretty wet time around here, because we usually get a pretty decent amount of some form of precipitation – whether rain, snow, or ice – throughout March and April. It’s best to stay off the lawn and out of garden beds as much as possible while the ground is wet. Wet soil is easily compacted by walking on it, and compacted soil is very difficult for anything to grow in.
If you haven’t tested your garden or lawn soil in a few years, you might want to consider it this month. Doing a soil test can help you know what your plants or grass need before you start adding fertilizers. We carry a couple of very good at-home test kits at the store, or you can send away for a more comprehensive test kit from the Michigan State University Extension Service.
There’s a tradition that says Saint Patrick’s Day is the time to plant peas. That has not really been something we could do in Michigan most years, because we often have snow on the ground. This year, who knows what we’ll have?
If there’s no snow on the ground, and the soil temperature is above 40°, you could give it a try. Peas are cool weather plants, so the earlier you can get them planted, the better chance you have of getting a good harvest before it heats up too much for them.
If you haven’t planned your garden yet, don’t delay any longer. Go through seeds leftover from last year to be sure of what you have – many of them will still be perfectly fine for planting this year. Once you’ve figured out what you have, determine what you need and go get it. All Seeds and Seed-Starting Supplies are on Sale at The Garden Mill this month. You can check out the seeds and seed-starting supplies we have available on our online store, or come in and shop.
If you are going to start plants indoors this year, make sure you have everything you need – seed starting mix, pots, working lights, heating mats, etc. Also make sure that everything is in good working order. Check cords for wear, make sure all the bulbs in your lights are working, and that heating mats are warming properly. It’s no fun finding out you’re missing a critical element, or that something isn’t working when you are ready to get start.
Be sure to clean out any previously used pots you want to use for seedling starting, repotting of house plants, or for outdoor container gardening. Disinfecting your pots before using them again ensures that they are not harboring any harmful bacteria. Do this task now so your pots will be ready to use when you’re ready for them. Use a 1 to 9 ratio of bleach to water and a wire brush to be sure to get all the leftover dirt, and then thoroughly rinse the pots to get rid of the bleach.
March is the time to start many seeds. Parsley should be started now – it’s a bit slow to germinate, so needs a little extra time to be ready for planting outdoors. Broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and most other herbs should be started in mid-month, though basil can be started at the end of the month, or in early April.
Start eggplants and peppers around the end of the month and tomatoes the first part of April so that they will be mature enough to be planted outdoors by Memorial Day, which is always my target date for getting those in the garden. If you want to get yours in your garden sooner than that, start your seeds earlier, but realize that these warm-weather loving plants won’t do well if it’s too cold outside when they are planted out.
March is also a good time to get flowers started, if you are growing your own. I like to grow some of my own, simply because I can get varieties that I might not be able to find in nurseries, and it’s less expensive. Start Zinnias early in the month, and amaranth, catmint, cleome, Echinacea, gaillardia, nigella, stock, and thunbergia by mid- to late-March.
Begin fertilizing indoor plants that you were letting rest over the winter. Also, now is a great time to re-pot any of your indoor plants that need it – before you get so involved with everything that needs to be done outdoors that you can’t get to them. If some of your plants are getting really big, split them into a few smaller ones so that you don’t have one huge plant that you can’t move! If you don’t have room for all those little ones, give them away as gifts!
If you stored tender bulbs, such as dahlias, gladiolas, caladiums, and cannas, over the winter, check them now and discard any that are soft, damaged or diseased.
If you potted tulips, daffodils, or other spring-blooming bulbs for forcing last fall, check their progress. When your bulbs get a few inches of growth, it’s time to move them into a cool (60°) sunny spot, but not in direct sunlight. Once they have flowered, move them into a warmer spot, but keep them out of direct sunlight to help the blooms last longer. For even longer lasting blooms, provide cooler nighttime temperatures.
Continue feeding the birds this month. By now, any seeds left on plants from last year have long since been consumed, and it’s still too cold for much insect activity, so they are expending lots of energy searching for food sources. Keeping your feeders full helps them save that energy for keeping warm during the cold days and nights that are still ahead. It also can help keep the birds around your yard as it warms up, when they will start eating the insects that emerge and start helping themselves to your plants.
Clean out nest boxes, or put up new ones – or both. Many birds will begin to scout out nesting sites this month, so cleaning out existing houses or putting up new ones now will encourage them to make their home in your yard. They’ll repay you for the hospitality by feeding their young with insects from your yard this spring.
