March In the Garden

Send us Fan MailIt’s time for This Month In The Garden for the month of March.  The key emphasis at this time of year are three words: Plant, Feed, and Control. But don’t jump the gun.  Remember to think about what plant you want where.  By knowing what you want to plant, you’ll know the type of fertilizer you will need.  Think about TOMATOES! How are you going to keep them off the ground? Teena and Katrina have wonderful suggestions and techniques for trellising or caging your plants. More than just tomatoes need support so what they describe can be used year-round.  Annual and perennial flowers! Yarrow, Coreopsis, Globe Amaranth, Rudbeckia. Look up how big they get so you can avoid overcrowding or planting tall varieties in front of short. Plumbago! There is a reason they are used as freeway plantings! 6' to 15' tall x 6' to 8' wide! Beautiful blue flowers that bloom for most of the year.  Just as your plants are hungry now, so are the pests that bother your plants. Feed the plants and you are, in turn, feeding those bugs that eat the fresh new growth. Now we talk about CONTROL. Stay on top of them the moment you spot them. Look up what you find on our UC IPM (Integrated Pest Management) website for specific pest notes.  Just put UC IPM in your search engine.