March

March

Chores and Maintenance

Rake perennial beds to prepare for compost or fertilizer
Edge beds
Cut cold-season ornamental grasses to the ground
Prune roses before the buds swell
Winter pruning (see shrub pruning calendar)

Pest Control

Apply dormant oil to shrubs and trees to smother overwintering insects and eggs
To make your own: add 1/2 cup of canola or safflower oil and a few drops of dishwashing liquid to one gallon of water. Spray when above 50 degrees

Spring-Flowering Trees and Shrubs

Any time now, you can cut stems of forsythia, pussy willow, crab apple, witch hazel and quince. Bring them indoors, give the stems water, light and warmth (65 degrees F. max). They will bloom for you in only two weeks