In former March , snow may still be covering your garden . But rest assure , saltation is just around the niche , and there ’s much to do toget your garden readyfor the arise season . plantsman Charlie Nardozzi and University of Vermont Extension Horticulturist Leonard Perry give us some gardening tips for March .
March care for fruit trees
Spray horticultural oil on apple , plum tree , and cerise Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree to smother any overwintering insects . These are often shout “ hibernating oils ” as they ’re apply while tree diagram are still dormant , just before buds emerge . Choose a unagitated day when temperatures are above 40 degrees ( F ) , and when no rain is reckon . Be sure to cover all sides of all branch , including internal and upper . cautiously follow the label education for right usage and appropriate plant .
Build a cold frame
stale systema skeletale propose a great chance to get a leap on the growing season and start your plants with literal sunlight rather ofindoor grow lights . You canmake a simple cold frameby placing hay Basle along the perimeter of a rectangle and place older window or a Methedrine storm threshold over the top . you could also buy cold frames , some with thermostatically control tops that give automatically when the temperature at heart hits a destine point in time . Since the high noon sun can heat up this space up quickly , a vent is peculiarly handy if you ’re away for long stretches during the day . Checkseed catalogsand online garden suppliers for the many types and monetary value ranges of cold frame .
Start seeds for cool weather crops now
Cole crops such as broccoli , cauliflower , and cabbage can bestarted indoorsnow under grow lights . These cool - loving craw should be grown for six week indoors before being transplanted alfresco about two week beforeyour last “ average ” frost date . Keep seedlings moist and well - fed to get the hardy transplants . Lanky , tall seedlings will be a sign they ’re getting too much fertilizer , too little light , or both . If you do n’t have a stale inning , set mature seedling outside on above - freezing day so they ’ll “ harden off ” and get stockier .
Plan crop rotation in your vegetable garden
Crop rotationis key in keep disease and infestations at bay laurel and not depleting the fertility of your garden soil . Whenplanning your vegetable gardenlayout , avoid planting members of the same plant family in the same spot they were in last year , or even the year before . phallus of the same family are susceptible to the same disease and worm infestation . For exercise , debar planting members of the tomato family ( tomatoes , Solanum tuberosum , peppers , and eggplant ) in the same place class after yr . You may rotate these crops with other families such as the legume ( beans , peas ) , lolly ( cabbage , kale , radishes , turnips ) , or cucurbits ( Cucumis sativus , melons , mash ) .
If you’re growing strawberries and raspberries
Check strawberry plants twice a hebdomad for signs of fresh maturation . As soon as you see sprouts , remove the straw mulch and spread it in the rows to help oneself hold in weeds . A top dressing of an inch or two of compost will give plants a boost .
If you’regrowing snort , spring is the fourth dimension to rationalize shoots before Modern maturation commence if you did n’t prune after harvest home . If develop the “ everbearing ” or two - crop types such as ‘ Heritage ’ or ‘ diminish amber ’ for a fall crop , you could rationalize all shoots to the ground . summertime - hold type produce yield on cane from the previous year , so do n’t prune these out or you wo n’t have any yield . cut out canes that fruit last year , commonly those more woody , spark in colouring material , and brittle . For any type , snip out canes that are frail and spindly , leaving healthy cane 6 inch or so apart .
A adaptation of this clause originally appeared on the University Of Vermont Extension web site .
