Bulbs
- If weeds occur in bulb beds do not remove them by cultivation. Pull them by hand so that the bulbs and roots will not be disturbed.
Equipment
- If you haven't done it already, check stored tools and outdoor furniture for signs of rust. Remove any surface rust with steel wool and paint with rust inhibitive paint.
Fruits, Herbs & Vegetables
- Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
- Parsley is rich in vitamins A and C. Start some seeds indoors now for later transplanting to a sunny corner of the vegetable garden.
- Plan your vegetable garden on a sheet of paper to utilize the space most efficiently. Remember to rotate the vegetables in the garden to reduce insect and disease problems.
- Pick a permanent spot for herbs in the garden. Many of them will come up year after year.
- Don't plow your garden when the soil is wet. It will form clods which are difficult to break up and interfere with cultivation during the summer.
Garden Planning
- Buy a notebook and use it to keep all your gardening information. List what you plant in the garden. Include the name of seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. During the growing season keep notes on how well the plant does. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens.
Ornamentals
- Some annuals, such as verbenas, snapdragons, and petunias, take 70 to 90 days to bloom. They should be started indoors in early spring or purchased as greenhouse grown transplants.
- Buy some new perennials for your flower border. Spring is a good time to renew and add variety to your landscape.
Soil & Compost
- Turn the compost pile.
Trees & Shubs
- Trees which bleed such as birch and maple should not be pruned until after their leaves are fully developed.
- After pussy willow catkins have passed their prime, prune the plants drastically to encourage long branches and large catkins for next year.
- Complete the pruning of shrubs, ornamental trees before growth starts, except for spring flowering shrubs. Prune those which bloom in spring as soon as they finish flowering.
Wildlife
- Place birdhouses built this winter outdoors this month. Birds will begin looking for nesting sites soon.