Things to Sow or Transplant

• Kohlrabi (early March), Lettuce (early March), Mustard (by mid March), Swiss Chard

March Garden To-Dos

Fertilize everything except your lawn

Apply fertilizer to blooming shrubs, annuals, and the vegetable garden. Pull back mulch before applying, water in well, then replace mulch to help protect from freeze. Hold off on fertilizing the lawn until April.

Prep your lawn for spring

Central Texas lawns need to be fed twice a year, once in spring (April), and once in fall (October) so hold off for now. But this month you can apply 1/2 inch of compost to all lawn areas. If you haven’t aerated your lawn within the past 3 to 5 years, then do it this spring. Top-dress with compost before or after aerating for maximum benefit. You can lay sod for warm-season turfgrasses like Zoysia grass but hold off with planting turfgrass by seed until April. Mow the lawn if needed and as always, spot treat for weeds.

Take little steps each day

Every gardener knows that it is easy to let the garden to-dos take over. Stay one step ahead by walking around your yard each morning and doing a few chores each time. It is a great way to get fresh air, exercise and enjoy the mild spring weather before it becomes relentlessly hot! Prune spring blooming shrubs when blooms have faded. Deadhead annual flowers as needed. Train vines as they emerge from dormancy. Don’t let weeds go to seed, pull or chop before they start to flower!

Till in winter cover crops

Allow two weeks for the cover crop to decompose before planting in that area.

Watch out for late cold snaps

Keep your floating row cover nearby and handy in case we have a late cold snap. You can wrap tomato cages or pea trellises, and make tents for squash or melons. Row cover can also help protect new seedlings and little transplants from strong springtime winds. The last average frost in Lakeway is the end of March, but tomatoes and peppers need protection from the low 50s. Once danger of frost has passed, move citrus trees and other tropical plants outside.

Water wisely

You may need to irrigate this month if rains don’t arrive. Monitor new seedbeds and transplants and water them as needed. Make sure to water transplants deeply if frost is predicted. Water helps protect the roots from cold. Reconnect hoses and timers and check for leaks. Soaker hoses and drip irrigation are recommended for vegetable gardens because they direct water to the roots and avoid wetting the leaves.

Take care of your transplants

Weeding and watering are critical, especially during the first 30-40 days of growth when plants are putting down roots. Transplants should be watered in their pots before transplanting and watered again after planting in the ground. Choose planting beds that provide at least six to eight hours of full sun for optimum growth and production. Add perennial flower transplants and plant annual flower seeds like zinnias when danger of frost has passed. Apply 1/2 inch of compost to all areas and water in well to establish good soil contact. Work compost into the first few inches of the vegetable beds. Hold off mulching vegetable beds until the soil has warmed to 70°F. Strong spring winds can quickly desiccate young seedlings, so monitor water needs of new plantings.

In the vegetable garden

Plant seeds of peas and greens early in the month, bush and pole beans, cucumbers, summer squash and winter squash later in the month. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplants should go in the garden as transplants so that flowering and fruit set can occur before temperatures get too hot.  Wrap tomato cage with row cover and place over transplants to protect them from wind and cold. Transplant herbs like oregano and thyme late in the month. Mound soil around potatoes leaving the top 6-8” of leaves exposed. Hold off on melons, okra, sweet potatoes, peppers and southern peas until the very end of the month or the first of April once the soil has warmed up to 65° F and the air temperature is between 70° and 85° F. Continue harvesting cool season crops and monitor for pests; as temperatures rise the cool season crops become stressed and attract pests. Pull up and compost cool season crops as soon as they start exhibiting stress. Plant flowers in and around the vegetable garden to attract beneficial insects.

Manage pests on new growth

One surprising solution for aphids is to spray them with fish emulsion. One step stronger would be an insecticidal soap spray. Sometimes even just a hard blast with water will dislodge them but be sure your plant is big enough to withstand it. Whatever method you choose, spray once every 3-5 days until you get control. Monitor new seedlings for cutworms and wrap stems with a 2-inch strip of newspaper to prevent further damage. Destroy soil grubs as you find them. Use horticultural oil to spot treat for scale, taking care to completely coat the infestations. Do not spray oil on new leaves or blossoms.

Watch for whiteflies and thrips

They’re tiny but their predictable habits make them fairly easy to identify. Whiteflies are easy to spot because they always fly up in a little cloud when their host plant is disturbed. Also, their sticky exudate often causes a sooty black mold to grow on plant leaves. Thrips are harder to see but you might feel ‘em! If you’re in the garden and you’re getting nipped by something that isn’t a mosquito, check the plants around you for thrips. They especially love roses, and because insecticides cannot reach inside the closed buds, all buds should be removed and discarded. If you do find whiteflies or thrips in your garden, spray weekly with horticultural oil for three weeks.

Deter pests on fruit trees

Spray peach and plum trees for curculio weevils when 3/4 of the petals have fallen. You’ll need to repeat three times at two-week intervals.

Watch for powdery mildew

Check new foliage on crape myrtles, squash, and roses for powdery mildew. If you find it, spray affected and surrounding leaves with either a natural fungicide, or cow milk (both skim or whole will work). Spray every 5-7 days, and spray again whenever there is a new flush of growth.

Maintenance is key

It is a great idea to annually evaluate and audit your irrigation systems. Check for misaligned or broken spray heads or emitters, misaligned spray heads, improper pressure, and poor overlap.

Garden Tips courtesy of The Natural Gardener and Texas AgriLife Extension.