Spring: March Tips For Your Flowers, Shrubs, Lawn And Garden

March 22, 2009

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Now that spring is here and the outdoors are turning green again, it is time to begin thinking about working in your outdoor areas in North Escambia and surrounding areas. From flowers, to tree and shrubs to lawns, the Escambia County Extension Service offers some great tips for the late March through April time period:

Flowers

  • Begin planting colorful annual flowers such as ageratum, alyssum, amaranthus, asters, baby’s breath, begonia, calendula, celosia, cosmos, dahlia, dusty miller, gaillardia, geranium, hollyhock, impatiens, marigold, nicotiana, ornamental pepper, pentas, phlox, rudbeckia, salvia, sweet Williams, torenia, verbena, vinca and zinnia.
  • Caladium bulbs are extremely sensitive to cold soil so there is no advantage to planting early. Purchase caladiums while there is a good selection, but wait until late March or April before planting them in shady beds.
  • Begin watching roses for black spot fungus disease (small black spots on the leaves that quickly worsen). Control it by spraying every seven to ten days with a fungicide. Call your local Extension Office for recommended products.

Trees and Shrubs

  • Finish pruning summer flowering shrubs such as althea, hibiscus, abelia, oakleaf hydrangea and oleander.
  • Delay pruning azaleas, camellias, spiraeas, gardenias and other spring flowering shrubs until after flowering is complete.
  • Prune any cold weather-damaged plants only after new growth appears.
  • If needed, fertilize shrubs and small trees with a slow release fertilizer. A good general-purpose landscape fertilizer is a 15-0-15.
  • Mature palms should receive an application of granular fertilizer. Use a special palm fertilizer that has an 8-2-12 +4Mg (magnesium) with micronutrients formulation. Apply one pound of fertilizer per 100 sq ft of canopy area or landscape area.
  • Pick up all fallen camellia blossoms and remove them from your property. This practice helps to prevent petal blight next season.
  • Prune ornamental grasses. For more information visit the online publication, “Considerations for Selection and Use of Ornamental Grasses,” at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/EP233 or call you local Extension Office for a copy.
  • Evergreen and semi-evergreen trees such as live oak and laurel oak shed most of their leaves during March and early April. Make plans to recycle these leaves on your
    property by composting or using them as mulch in vegetable, flower and shrub beds.

Vegetable Garden

  •  In mid-March, plant vegetables such as bush beans, pole beans, lima beans, cantaloupes, sweet corn, cucumbers, eggplant, okra, southern peas, peppers, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, summer squash, winter squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
  •  Sweet potato plants (slips/draws) can be set out April through June.

Lawns

  • Removing excessive accumulation of leaves from the lawn will increase the effectiveness of fertilizer and pesticide applications.
  • If a pre-emergence lawn herbicide is needed to control summer weeds, it should be applied in early March or when day temperatures reach 65 to 70 degrees F for 4 to 5 consecutive days. Make certain to choose one that is safe on your type of grass. Call your local Extension Office for a recommendation.
  • Wait until early April to fertilize lawns. If fertilized too early, they often respond with yellow spots of iron chlorosis. Use a slow release nitrogen product with a 3-1-3 ratio
    (like a 16-2-16) or a 1:0:1 ratio such as a 15-0-15.
  • Service the lawn mower by sharpening the blade and adjusting the cutting height for your type of grass.
  •  Anyone considering establishment of centipede grass from seed should hold off until the soil warms up and stabilizes above 70°F.
  • Spring dead spots may be present. Before treating these areas, get a diagnosis. Treat, if necessary, and then patch these areas before weeds invade the bare spots. Sodding, plugging or sprigging helps them to fill in quicker.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under Features, News