March Gardening Chores

March came in like a lamb this year. Let’s hope the old wives’ tale doesn’t play out and March goes out like a lion. We Wyomingites get brain washed into thinking winter will never end, but I ‘m here to tell you biology in the garden is stirring and you need to get outside and be a part of it!

      I’ve got four items for you to do, so get off the couch and get going!

    1. Plant a salad bowl. There’s absolutely no reason why you can’t grow greens for your family to enjoy and this project is fun for the entire family. You’ll need a bowl with a drainage hole on the bottom–a small clay garden pot works well for this. Go to the Wyoming Plant Company Garden Center and purchase a bag of potting soil and three or four packets of various salad green seeds. Fill the bowl up with the potting soil to about an inch from the top, moisten the soil and then compress the soil firmly with your hands. Add more soil and repeat the process until you have the soil firm and about an inch below the top. Next, open the seed packets up and mix up the seeds then plant according to the seed packet’s instructions. Keep the pot indoors and the soil moist till you see germination, then place outdoors in a sunny location. On very cold days bring the salad bowl indoors. In about five weeks or so your salad bowl is ready to eat. With scissors in hand, pass the bowl around the kitchen table and clip off the greens and enjoy. This salad bowl makes for a great gift giving idea–who wouldn’t want a bowl of spring time greens?
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    3. Apricot blossoms for spring cheer!
      Apricot blossoms for spring cheer!
      Bring spring into your home now. To shake the winter time blues, take some cuttings off of your flowering trees like apple, crabapple, and cherry. Make the cuttings twelve to fifteen inches in length and place in a vase of water in doors. You may also score or smash the branch bottoms for several inches to facilitate water uptake. The warmth of your home will cause the cuttings to think spring is here and in about two weeks you’ll have a floral display that’ll make a florist green with envy.
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    5. Trim back your ornamental grasses. Now is the time to cut back your ornamental grasses to about four inches above the ground. This hedging allows for the grass plant to receive good sunlight and will stimulate spring time growth. Many ornamental grasses will start actively growing by the end of March.
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    7. Check out your trees. Now, while the trees are dormant and without leaves, look for crossing branches, dead limbs, and other abnormalities. Schedule an appointment with an arborist to safely remove these distractions from your property.

     

    This article appeared in the March 17th, 2017 edition of the Wyoming Plant Company News sent to subscribers. You can subscribe to the newsletter to get these articles in your inbox by using the form on the sidebar.