March Garden Tasks
Don’t be Fooled! The average date of “last freeze” in Dallas County is March 21st-31st.
Planting
- Plant ornamental trees and shrubs while the weather is still cool.
- Divide and replant fall flowering plants such as asters and mums.
- Complete transplanting of established woody plants before budbreak.
- Plant cool season flowers such as alyssum, daisies, dianthus, and geraniums (mid to late March).
- Plant spinach, radishes, lettuce, through mid-April. Also, plant snap beans, cucumbers, sweet corn, lima beans, mustard, tomatoes, and squash late March when soil temperatures are warm enough for each variety.
- Begin to plant warm season flowers as temperatures increase towards the end of the month and as they become available in nurseries.
Pruning
- Prune back overgrown ground cover such as English ivy and Asian jasmine to maintain the height you prefer. Do so before new growth begins.
- Cut back ornamental grasses before new growth appears.
- Remove winter-damage from shrubs and other ornamentals.
- Do not prune spring flowering shrubs and vines, until after blooming such as forsythia, quince, azaleas, spirea, etc.
- Allow foliage on spring bulbs such as daffodils to die back and dry before removing, to create food for next year’s plants.
Plant Care
- Based on a soil test, fertilize established shade trees, ornamental trees, and shrubs as spring growth begins.
- Based on a soil test, fertilize pecan and fruit trees before budbreak. (See plantanswers.com <http://plantanswers.com> for more details)
- Check new growth on ornamental plants weekly for aphids and scale insects and treat if necessary.
- Mow fescue/ryegrass lawns, now growing vigorously, at five-day intervals, or as needed.
- Fertilize fescue lawns in early March as per soil test results.
- Continue to feed pansies and other cool season annuals to extend their bloom season.
- Continue to protect tender plants from late freezes.