My Task List for the March Garden

Cold, then hot. Wet, then dry. Spring brings us uncertainty, at least as far as the weather goes. Everyone loves the idea of an Easter party on the lawn, but this year, Easter is March 23! It's so early, it may very well be cold and wet. Still, we'll plan well and hope for the best.

Take a good hard look at your garden, and decide what tasks MUST be taken care of now, and what can wait. Here are the things on my list that I want to get done in order to have a big Easter Egg Hunt in my yard on March 22:

All of the beds need to be cleared of the old plant material that has frozen, or just died back. Gingers, groundcovers, and weeds fit into this category. Even the dried tops of the sedum and mums have to be cut off and thrown away. Be very careful what you choose to compost out of this debris. Anything soft and mushy may carry over fungus or bacteria, and it's better to bag it, and throw it out with the trash.

After I clean out a bed, I will add a fresh layer of mulch. Remember, with our 300+ day growing season, mulches won't last for a whole year like they do up north. Not only are our plants actively growing, but the organisims in the soil are actively breaking down soil organics as well. Plan to mulch at least twice a year.

Selectively and carefully trim back cold damage on citrus and other tropical shrubs and trees. Citrus don't like to be pruned, and remember that pruning is going to cause a flush of new growth. So, don't be in a hurry to do this unless you are sure there will be no more cold weather in your area.

I'm watching for new growth this time of year, and I will fertilize things that are in bloom, or indicating that they are coming out of dormancy. I use a half-strength liquid fertilizer on my Japanese magnolias, sweet olive, azaleas, and camellias. Also, Louisiana Iris, which will bloom next month in my garden, and callas. The rest can wait for a while.

I purchase a bottle of dormant oil spray at the local Lowes' or Home Depot, and make sure my hand sprayer is in working condition. As soon as the nights warm up above 50 degrees, I will give my camellias and sweet olives a good spraying, being sure to get under the leaves. Citrus, which is prone to black, sooty mold (caused by insects) can also be sprayed with this product. Do not spray when daytime temperatures will be about 80 degrees - you'll burn the plants. This is a springtime application ONLY.

This is the time of year that I gather up all my old pots - full of last year's impatiens volunteers, and dump them out, scrub them off, and refill them. You can still plant some snapdragons, petunias, or violas, but it's getting late - they will succumb to the heat as soon as it arrives in May. Be ready to replace them with things that are more tolerant of our heat and humidity as soon as they show signs of stress.