March Maintenance Guide

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

INTRO

It could be said that March is the month for yellow. I can’t help myself and I gawk at the forsythia and the daffodils. I can’t get enough of them. I also can’t help but notice the difference between pruned forsythia and those left in their natural state. Forsythia look best left natural. If you can’t leave forsythia naturally, needing a tidier garden, than find another shrub that can tolerate pruning and not look unnatural. But the chances are you are growing forsythia because of what it does this month – bloom fantastic long arching stems of beautiful yellow flowers; so let it do what it does best, branch out and beg to be noticed adding to the yellows of spring.

With the arrival of spring, we start wanting to see beautiful gardens. Look for garden tours, events, and symposia. A garden tour is a great way to learn about gardens, plants that do well in your region, and walk away with a thousand ideas while having an enjoyable time. Even if you only walk away with one idea, it is worth it.   My gauge for a successful garden tour is when everybody’s garden was somebody’s favorite.

BULBS

Don’t kick yourself for not having daffodils blooming in your garden this month. Put in your day planner now to purchase spring blooming bulbs in the summer when the selection is best and plant daffodils in mid fall.  As a reminder, do not cut back the leaves of the daffodils until they have finished. Once they have lain down on the ground, they can be cut back.

Ditto with the tulips. In our area, the Dutch tulips are used as annuals.  But can also be a benefit for those who aren’t keen on untidy bulb foliage.  I think tulips are the most underused bulb. They can be pricey, especially since they have to be replaced each year. That and the little garden critters love them too. I suspect this is why they are so underused. However, they are fantastic. I believe they are worth the money. Bulbs are long lasting and with the vast selection, they can be timed to bloom with the Dogwoods and the Azaleas.

Because I grow Dutch Tulips as annuals, I pull them as soon as the flowers are spent.

For summer blooming plants such as Gladiolus, plant corms now.  Planting every two weeks from now through spring will extend the bloom time.  Select well-shaped, large corms and plant in a sunny, well-drained location, planted no closer than four inches apart, 4 – 6 inches deep.

To get a jump start for a spring display, start caladiums and tuberous begonias inside.  Pot up bulbs with roots down and growth points up.  Keep at room temperature until they are ready to plant outside.  Both are very tender and benefit in waiting a couple weeks past the last frost date.

ANNUALS

Pansies are still looking good. We will be able to enjoy them through the end of May, if we want. Most usually pull in early May, after the threat of last frost, just in time to put in summer annuals. It also a good time to plant pansies.

Now is a good time to plant alyssum, snapdragon and viola. As well as larkspur, and poppies seeds.

PERENNIALS

If you haven’t already cut back your Liriope, look inside to see if the new growth has emerged. If you see the new growth, it can still be cut back, but  be careful that the new growth is not cut. The longer the new growth, the more difficult this task is. Cutting them back last month would have been ideal, but there may still be time- take a peek before you cut. Otherwise, trim off burnt edges and wait until next year.

My Hellebores are looking very good. Hellebores are one of my favorite plants for winter interest. I like to cut back the old leaves before (or as) the new growth emerges. Also, if you don’t want your Hellebores to spread, cut the flower heads before they release their seeds. Remember too, the Hellebores cross breed readily. So don’t trust the seed of your black hellebore to stay black if they keep company with other colors. Your original will stay black, but any babies will be something else.

Hostas are starting to come up. This is a great time to divide and share with a friend or another location in your garden.

For your daylilies, now is a good time to divide. Daylilies need dividing every 4 years or so to keep them flowering nicely.  They divide easily and happily.  Keep the clumps large, 3 – 5 fans each.  Share with friends or find now homes in your garden. This year’s blooms may suffer, but will recover by next year.  One way to look at it, if they need dividing, they are suffering anyway by not being divided!

Bee balm (Monarda) is sprouting now (and last month too.)  Take this opportunity to transplant and move around in the garden or to give to friends.

Spring is a good time to divide bleeding hearts, garden phlox, hostas, coreopsis, chrysanthemums, ajuga, and Shasta daisies. Transplant to other areas of your gardens, share with a friend, or donate to a plant sale.

Herbaceous peonies will be up soon. I love, love, love Peonies. The blooms of this long living perennial may only last a couple of weeks, but I cannot resist their scent and beauty.

If you haven’t cut back your ornamental grasses yet, you may still have time. Look inside the plant to see if the new growth has emerged. Be careful not to cut the new growth.

If you needed a good excuse to grow Carolina Jessamine, look around and get inspired. They are blooming everywhere – mailboxes, entrances, sides of homes, fences, anywhere you wish to add some local color.

Transplant seedlings of columbine, Lenten rose, purple coneflowers, and bee balm to an appropriate space, to move to another part of the garden, or to share with a gardening friend.

TREES AND SHRUBS

Look at those Redbuds. Mine opened up around the middle of the month. Before that, it was the Peaches and Cherries.

Coppice American beauty berry.  It helps stimulate growth and control size.

This is the time of year bear-root plants should be planted.  Either purchased at an independent garden center or received from the mail order nursery.  When they arrive, as the name applies, the roots will be bear.  These plants are dormant, without soil or potting mix, their clean roots moistened by damp sphagnum moss or softwood shavings, newspaper or the like.  Depending on the plant, the bear root could have a husky root system, but no leaves yet, or a chunk of roots, in either case, the plant looks nothing like what it will become.   The roots will soon sprout leaves and grow into fine plants.  Be sure to plant as soon as possible.  If the roots dry out, the plant’s health will be compromised.  Bear-root trees and shrubs benefit from extra care before planting.  Soak the roots in a bucket of water for 2 hours or more to help restore moisture.  In fact overnight is fine, but not much longer than that.  When planting, be careful not to plant too deeply.  Locate the soil line on your woody plant or a change of color, or a thickened area where the stem meets the roots.  Use these markers as guidelines.  Leave the crown (where stems sprout) at soil line when planting.

There is sill time to plant trees and shrubs.

Prune fig trees.  Fertilize fig and blueberries with a well balanced fertilizer (10-10-10).

ROSES

Roses are starting to put out new growth. We are ending the optimum time to plant bare root roses. Now is a good time to add a slow release organic fertilizer. Roses are heavy feeders. We will get a good couple of months before we see black spot or Japanese Beetles. The Lady Banks rose will be blooming soon. I love this Rose. It may only bloom once a year, but it virtually maintenance free, free flowing, and stunning. I have two; one on the South side of my house trellising up a Chinese Windmill Palm and another growing up a Maple tree, again, on the South side (of the property and the tree.)

HERBS

As the new growth is emerging, cut back the winter-burned leaves of St. John’s-Wort.

March is a great time to direct sow parsley.  Your Tiger Swallowtail larvae will love you for it!

VEGETABLES

WATERWISE

March is typically a wet month. Unless there was a winter drought, watering is not necessary. Even in a drought, given the cooler temperatures, watering perennials once every 4 weeks and annuals every 2 weeks is all that is necessary. Tress and shrubs will not likely need watering. However, your specific conditions will dictate what is necessary.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Your bulbs will appreciate an application of a complete fertilizer as the green appears.

Pansies and violas appreciate a slow-release application now.

Now is still a good time to lay mulch. This gives you enough time to allow gardens to have a nice chill, killing off insects and such, while still protecting our plants. Also your perennials are just emerging and laying mulch is much easier before the plants are up. I like to use composted leaf mulch, but most of my clients still like triple shredded hardwood mulch.  It looks best right after it is laid. Oh for our gardens to look as good as it looks right after mulch is applied. For my clients who use the hardwood mulches, I recommend lightly raking the mulch every quarter to remove the larger pieces. It is these pieces that bleach out in the sun like old bones in a desert. Racking them up and using elsewhere in the garden helps extend to look of mulch. Of course, if you use composted leaf mulch you will not be off the maintenance hook. There will be plenty of bits of trash to pick up as the mulch is consumed.

Spot weed your beds and grass. I hand pluck out my weeds. If you do this before they get out of hand, they can be managed. Also in my beds, I use a hoe and just cut the weeds below the surface of the soil.

GARDEN PESTS

WILDLIFE

For your Bluebirds have your nesting boxes ready. They are looking to nest!

For your birds, if you haven’t done so already, now is a good time clean out your nesting boxes.  Removing old nests and debris from birdhouses gives a new family a fresh start.  It is also a good idea to scrub your birdbaths.

Here is something to think about:

Nature’s first green is gold.

Her hardest hue to hold.

Her early leaf’s a flower;

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.

So Eden sank to grief,

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

- Robert Frost

CONTAINER GARDENING

LAWNS

Helen  Yoest is a garden writer, speaker and garden coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook Friend’s page, Helen Yoest; or facebook Like page, Gardening With Confidence™

February Maintenance Guide

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

INTRO

Before the garden season kicks into full gear, evaluate your garden with regards to sustainability. Are you doing all that you can do to reduce water, pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizer use? Are you composting? Are you harvesting rain water? Are you planting the right plant in the right place? Do you mulch? Are you using organic and/or mechanical means for pesticide and herbicides control, and are you using organic fertilizers? Let this be the year you consider doing all that you can do. Let this be the year you begin.

A good practice to begin the gardening season is to have your soil tested.

BULBS

Now is a good time to fertilize the flowering bulbs. A general 10-10-10 is good, but there are also products made especially for flowering bulbs, such as Holland brand products.  Many bulbs such as paperwhite narcissus, hyacinths and tulips are each to force and enjoyed indoors while waiting for spring.

If you see green from your bulbs starting to emerge, don’t panic. While there is still winter ahead, the leaves do fine; they are very hardy.

ANNUALS

Pinch spent blooms off pansies to maintain their flower show through spring.

PERENNIALS

February is a good time to cut back Liriope. The key is not to cut it too late and risk cutting off the new growth. The damage will not recover and can look tattered.  Also, the solid green variety spreads. If your original design had a pattern and if you want to keep that pattern (usually an alternate X pattern), then after the cut back, dig out the Liriope that has spread.

You can still plant peonies.  Fall would have been idea, but they can be planed now as well.  When planting, make sure the top of the crown is just above the soil line.  Peonies need the cold to set the buds.  Fertilize now before the spring growth so that it will be readily available when the plant is.

February is the time to fertilize your flowering ornamentals.  My beds get most of their nutrients from decaying mulch, but often times, from the result of an soil test, I will an organic fertilizer.

A warm winter day is perfect for preparing a new or existing garden bed.  For a new site, mark the area of the new bed and top dress several layers of newspaper and top dress with organic matter such as composted leaf mulch.   For existing beds, work the ground with a garden fork to loosen the soil and mix in the organic matter.  In doing so,  you will improve soil fertility and drainage.

If you vines have gotten out of hand, late winter is a good time to tame them.  Cut back wisteria, Virginia creeper, ivy, and Japanese honeysuckle

Cut back ornamental grasses.  Also, when to Fertilize Your Grass. Check the perennials, particularly those planted last fall, to be sure they didn’t heave from alternate freezing thawing.

TREES AND SHRUBS

If you root pruned trees or shrubs last fall, now is a good time to transplant.

For your enjoyment indoors, have spring come early by bringing in branches or purchase already forced branches or bulbs.  Here are some ideas.

As long as the ground isn’t frozen, it is still a good time to plant trees and shrubs. Prepare the planting hole with ample mulch. Also cover the root ball with mulch being careful not to bring the mulch right up to the trunk.

If you haven’t cut your butterfly bushes, do so now. Doing so controls the height, increases the flower show since butterfly bushes flower on new growth, but also protects the plant in the event of heavy wind and ice storms coating the branches too weak to support the ice.

Late winter is an ideal time to prune most shrubs, so the timing couldn’t be better. Take advantage of the downtime in the garden and prune. Careful though, learn to prune before you ruin the natural shape of your shrubs.

Add lime to your fig trees.  Our area tends to be acidic, and figs prefer a much sweeter soil.  Get a soil test to determine how much to apply. Experience with my so suggests adding about 2 cups of dolomitic lime.

Camellias blooms should be picked up from under the bush.  This will help prevent the spread of disease.

ROSES

For your roses, now is a great time to plant bare root roses. When you receive your bare root rose, unwrap the rose and soak in water for 2-8 hours, then plant immediately or they will dry out. Dig a hole 12-18 deep and 24 wide. Amend the soil by adding bone meal, manure, and soil conditioner. In the center of the hole, make a cone from the soil and spread the roots over the cone. Back-fill the hole with soil and tamp lightly, watering in. This helps to remove air pockets. Cover the bush completely with mulch. The union should not be showing! Consider disease-resistant shrub types such as “Carefree Beauty’ and ‘Knock Out’.

Now is a good time to do the final pruning of last season’s growth to prepare for this year’s growth – prune hybrid teas, grandiflora and floribunda roses.

HERBS

VEGETABLES

Prepare your vegetable garden by loosening the soil and adding organic matter.  If you need to enter the garden to harvest or maintain it, place a few stepping stones and stay on those while in the garden.  This will help keep the bed from with heavy foot traffic.  Limit the movement around the inside of the vegetable garden; or any garden bed for that matter.

February is a good time to plant onions, asparagus, and carrots.  If you didn’t plant your snow peas in January, you still have time now, but time is running out.

WATERWISE

Remember to water new plantings in the absence of rain.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

Even though you raked leaves, mowed them to reduce their size and then put them back on your garden or compost pile, there is still probably leaf litter around blowing in from the neighbors, trees, etc. Take a walk around your garden to collect leaves, old fruits, twigs, seeds, pods – all litter and add to the compost pile. Doing this on a pretty day, gives you a great excuse to be out of doors.

February is a great time to mulch. The ground has had a chance to freeze, killing off fungus and some pests, and the deciduous plants have left room for an easy application. In my book, nothing compares to a fresh application of mulch. I have now converted to total composted leaf mulch. For a long time, I still used triple shredded mulch in landscaped areas with leaf mulch in my garden beds. But I love the color of this mulch and it adds nutrients to the soil.

Mulch also helps prevent heaving.  Heaving is when newly planted plants (planted the previous fall) are subjected to freezing then thawing causing the plant to up root. It is OK to adjust these plants in place and they should be fine. It might be a good idea to add some additional mulch to reduce the likelihood of the ground freezing.

Stay on top of those winter weeds.

GARDEN PESTS

Are you noticing knots forming on the tips of your dogwood branches?  It’s likely caused by a tiny insect called a club-gall midge.  They lays eggs in the tips of dogwood branches in late spring.  As the larvae develop, they cause club-shaped galls, about a half-inch long to form.  Be sure to prune these out and rid them as they develop during the summer.

Once your winter-blooming Camellias (Camellia japonica) finish blooming; be sure to rake the fallen flower heads to discourage Camellia petal blight.

If you’ve had a problem with mealy bugs, aphids, scale, or mites, apply dormant oil.

WILDLIFE

Don’t forget to enjoy your birds. Putting feeders out where you can enjoy  the birds from the warmth of indoors, benefits you and the birds.

Birds need a water supply in the winter, if you can invest in a bird bath heater, you won’t be disappointed.

CONTAINER GARDENING

LAWNS

February begins weed season.  Watch for chickweed, hairy bittercress, and henbit.  Remove as you find them to keep the population down to a manage since, avoiding the need for a post-emergent herbicide.

Results for the soil test, in our acid area of North Carolina, will suggest the need to raise the pH of the soil.  This is typically done so with an application of lime.  Generally, I will add the recommended amount of pelletized dolomitic limestone.  This product is readily available at any hardware store, big box store,  and of course, your independent garden center.  Dolomitic Limestone neutralizes soil acid and supplies calcium and magnesium.

During this downtime for mowing Fescue lawns, sharpen the lawn mower blade, change the oil, and generally tune up your lawn mower.

magazisium Helen  Yoest is a garden writer, speaker and garden coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook Friend’s page, Helen Yoest; or facebook Like page, Gardening With Confidence™

GARDENING WITH CONFIDENCE™

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN

Mid-Atlantic Region

December Maintenance Guide

December can be a quiet time in the garden. Most of us are busy with other things, so the timing is good. Here is some of what we are doing in our Zone 7b gardens.

If you are in need for garden December garden inspiration, you may enjoy this -December Inspiration

HERBS

• Rosemary topiaries are widely available now from nurseries, garden centers, big box stores, and grocery stores. They make an excellent seasonal display, provide fragrance and decor for the table top inside or in a container outside. If kept outside, protect from freezing the first year. Potted Rosemary can easily dry out. Keep an eye on this. That shouldn’t be a problem since you will be going by often for a snip for cooking.

BULBS

• I love Amaryllis at Christmastime! I start looking for the bulbs in October and begin planting them every other week. This way, I’ll have them blooming throughout the holiday season. It is also a good idea to buy after Christmas when they go on sale. Pot them up and enjoy during Valentine’s Day. Come spring, these bulbs can be planted in the garden. You might find this interesting. The Amaryllis Lives on in the Garden.

• Forgot to plant your spring-blooming bulbs such as daffs and tulips? Not to worry, they can still be planted as long as you can work the soil. A good rule of thumb is to plant with the pointed end up, at a depth 2 times the size of the bulb and add a bulb fertilizer to supply the nutrients necessary for a spring showstopper. So, if the bulb is 2 inches from tip to root, then plant 4 inches deep.

PERENNIALS

• Cut back Cannas after frost and put in the compost pile. Be sure the cut them back though, leaf rollers that might be present can over-winter in the plant. Using a large kitchen knife, a quick slice at the base of the plant makes short work of this garden maintenance task.

• Cut back and remove Peony leaves after a killing frost. This helps prevent harboring of disease and tidies up the garden. Remember peonies need the chilling cold during dormancy for proper plant development. So be careful when mulching, keeping the “eyes” 4 exposed. Peonies are heavy feeders and perform well using compost or well-rotted manure to feed. I like to use composted leaf mulch. Mulch around the plant. Usually an inch or two for established plants is all that is needed.

ROSES

• Prune roses about half their size.

TREES AND SHRUBS

• We are in Sasanqua Season. How can you miss with these drought tolerant evergreens shrubs that flower in December? They may be slow-growing, but they are long-lasting. Yuletide is nice for their red blooms during the holiday. I’m partial to the white Camellia sasanqua ‘Sestugekka’

HOLIDAY DECORATING

• Deck the halls with boughs of Holly. Whip out those clippers and look around the garden. There is so much to use to add festive natural adornments to your home, both inside and out. Wreaths on the windows or door; accent the mailbox and the light post and reindeer holding court in your front garden greeting your visitors.

FERTILIZER

On a warm day this month, lightly fertilize annuals, then water. Be mindful on unseasonably warm days this month with little rain, check to see of annuals need watering.

PROPOGATION

• Now is a good time to take hardwood cuttings of deciduous woodies like forsythia, Quince, Mock orange, spirea, and viburnum.

WILDLIFE

• Remember the birds through spring. Actually, I tend to my bird friends year round. This is something I do that gives me a great deal of pleasure. They add so much to the garden and to the gardener’s enjoyment. Be sure to provide a continual supply of seed, suet and water. Did you know that a bird is 3 times more likely to die from lack of water in the winter than lack of food? Break the ice, if need be.
• Birdhouses make great holiday gifts and can look indoors or out.

Helen  Yoest is a garden writer, speaker and garden coach through her business Gardening with Confidence™.

Follow Helen on Twitter @HelenYoest and her facebook Friend’s page, Helen Yoest; or facebook Like page, Gardening With Confidence™

Helen is a field editor for Better Homes and Gardens and Country Gardens magazine and she also serves on the board of advisors for the JC Raulston Arboretum.

Helen is co-founder and contributor to:

Beautiful Wildlife Garden
You can follow Beautiful Wildlife Garden on Twitter @Wildlife Garden and facebook at Wildlife Garden.

AND

Helen is the founder, publisher and editor of:
Tarheel Gardening – your online resource for North Carolina gardening enthusiasts.

You can follow Tarheel Gardener.com on Twitter @TarheelGardenin and on facebook at Tarheel Gardening.com.