The gardening calendar for March provides a list of recommended food growing and gardening chores and tips. It is time to venture outdoors for some serious organic gardening!
The biggest focus this month is, “When can I DO something?” If you have been asking yourself this question, the answer is a LOT! March is the month to really get started growing organic food. First thing you really need to know is the last date you can expect frost in your area. Consult the growing zone maps to determine your garden’s date of expected last frost.
To prepare soil for spring planting you need to know some things about your garden’s soil. Do you know your soil type? Your soil’s pH? Need to identify your soil type? You can also learn how to test your soil.
Here are a few key tasks for the organic garden in March
- Tops of onions seeded last month should be clipped to keep them at about 4 inches. This diverts energy to bulb growth.
- Plant cool-season annual edibles and perennial herbs outdoors. These include seedlings you’ve started indoors or purchased at a garden center: parsley, cilantro, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and Brussels sprouts.
- If your tiller turns over sluggishly in spring, before trying to start it, move it to a sunny location and cover it with a black plastic garbage bag for half an hour. A few minutes of solar heating will warm up the fluids and make starting easier.
- Protect yourself and the blade of your pruning saw during storage. Make a cover for it using a piece of old garden hose the same length as the blade. Cut the hose lengthwise on one side, and place it over the saw blade.
Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs for March:
- Be mindful of warm days when the sun can cause heat to build up under rose cones, cold frames and in other plant protection systems. However, avoid removing mulches prematurely from plants with tender new tissue forming.
- Seeds of the following annual flowers can be started indoors: ageratum, wax begonia, browallia, dianthus and carnation, dusty miller, impatiens, larkspur, lobelia, dwarf marigold, nierembergia, pansy, petunia, moss rose, snapdragons, celosia and stocks.
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