March To Do List
Plant: ornamental & wildlife
- Annuals: It’s a tricky month for annuals since we get hot days. But the soil is still cold and freezes could still arrive. Late: plant cosmos, sunflowers, morning glory, gomphrena but keep an eye on upcoming freezes. Avoid planting caladiums.
- Wildflower transplants: early in month, you can still plant bluebonnet, larkspur, poppy and other transplants.
- Perennials & vines
- Ornamental (clumping) grasses like muhly and Mexican feather grass (late month)
- Trees, shrubs, roses (as soon as possible before heat sets in)
Plant: herbs
- Nasturtiums, chives, catnip, comfrey, fennel, horseradish, feverfew, oregano, thyme, rosemary, Mexican mint marigold, peppermint, lemongrass (after last freeze)
Plant: food crops
- Chard, corn, cucumber, eggplant, endive, Malabar spinach, mustard, peppers, pumpkin, summer & winter squash, tomatillos (you need at least two!), tomatoes, beans, cantaloupe
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas)
Prune
- Roses (early)
- Evergreen shrubs
- Prune dormant perennials and ornamental (clumping) grasses.
- Trees: DO NOT prune red oaks and live oaks unless damaged. Spray immediately with clear varnish.
- No need to apply pruning paint to other trees
- Avoid topping crape myrtles: simply remove sprouts or entire limbs at the trunk.
Divide/Move
- Dormant perennials, roses, shrubs and trees. Still time, but don’t wait!
Fertilize
- Citrus with high nitrogen fertilizer like Citrus-tone. Fertilize every few weeks through growing season.
- Add compost to beds as you cut back dormant perennials. Fertilize with slow-release granular late in the month or as dormant perennials leaf out
- Add compost around trees and fertilize. Be sure to dig out grass several feet from the trunk, ideally to the drip line of the tree canopy.
- Watch for powdery mildew. Apply a natural fungicide like Serenade.
Lawn
- Mow weeds before they set seed. Do not fertilize at this time except with compost!
- Plant native Habiturf seeds after soil prep
- Plant other turf late in month once freezes aren’t coming
Prep
- Add compost to vegetable gardens along with organic fertilizer in prep for more summer crops
- Soil test
Other tasks
- Keep floating row cover available; avoid covering plants with plastic
- Mulch, but avoid touching the base of trees and roses
- Till in winter cover crops
- WEED!
Tips
- When planting, dig hole twice as wide as root ball but no deeper than where it sits in the pot.
- Backfill and water until it sinks in.
- Continue filling in.
- Water again until it sinks in and pack the soil down.
- Mulch.
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