Well, it has been awhile since I have posted, and we are now into our second week of March. Austin has finally received rain, and we should be seeing some major growth and flowers popping up. There is no substitute for rain.
Here are some tips for the month of March:
FOOD HARVESTING:
If you did not follow my instructions last month, then you need to add compost to your vegetable gardens and mix in to the first one inch of soil.
Plant vegetable seeds toward the end of March such as cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, black-eyed peas, pumpkin, New Zealand spinach, summer squash, watermelon, pepper, tomato
Plant herb seeds or install plants such as basil, chives, epasote, comfrey, scented geranium, lemon grass, mints, oregano, pennyroyal, rosemary, santolina, thyme.
Plant flower seeds such as cleome, cypress vine, gomphrena, marigold, moonflower vine, morning glory, sunflower (try giant ones and teddy bears), flowering tobacco, gourds (grow some bird houses and instruments), luffa (really cool vine that produces loofa sponges you can use!), cockscomb, coleus, gomphrena.
Plant bulbs such as caladium (great for color in the shade), calla, canna, daylily, and elephant ear
PLANT AND SHRUB MAINTENANCE:
It is now time to fertilize those blooming shrubs with a granular slow release one time only, spray them with seaweed as often as two times a month, or use a liquid fertilizer like Hasta Gro. Mix in sulphur to your acid loving plants to make them bloom, and add compost to your potted plants (especially indoor plants and they may need some outside air to freshen them up).
LAWN MAINTENANCE:
Now is the time to aerate your lawn if you have a means to do this. Also, toward the end of the month you can purchase top soil in bulk and have it delivered to be spread at your extreme inconvenience, buy it in bags and spread it with a spreader, or purchase some compost tea and apply it with a garden hose sprayer.
You can also put down a pre-emergent weed killer if you have not already done this right now. Use bagged corn gluten or a Green Light project that is the least toxic as possible. DO NOT USE WEED AND FEED. In fact, if you ever see it at the store, push it to the back, or write a note to customers so no one buys it! (I can write more about this later).
Tis the growing season so keep your lawn mowed to ensure healthy roots. I like to keep my lawn at about a 1.5" height, and it varies slightly on each type of grass.
GOOD LUCK!
Here are some tips for the month of March:
FOOD HARVESTING:
If you did not follow my instructions last month, then you need to add compost to your vegetable gardens and mix in to the first one inch of soil.
Plant vegetable seeds toward the end of March such as cantaloupe, corn, cucumber, eggplant, black-eyed peas, pumpkin, New Zealand spinach, summer squash, watermelon, pepper, tomato
Plant herb seeds or install plants such as basil, chives, epasote, comfrey, scented geranium, lemon grass, mints, oregano, pennyroyal, rosemary, santolina, thyme.
Plant flower seeds such as cleome, cypress vine, gomphrena, marigold, moonflower vine, morning glory, sunflower (try giant ones and teddy bears), flowering tobacco, gourds (grow some bird houses and instruments), luffa (really cool vine that produces loofa sponges you can use!), cockscomb, coleus, gomphrena.
Plant bulbs such as caladium (great for color in the shade), calla, canna, daylily, and elephant ear
PLANT AND SHRUB MAINTENANCE:
It is now time to fertilize those blooming shrubs with a granular slow release one time only, spray them with seaweed as often as two times a month, or use a liquid fertilizer like Hasta Gro. Mix in sulphur to your acid loving plants to make them bloom, and add compost to your potted plants (especially indoor plants and they may need some outside air to freshen them up).
LAWN MAINTENANCE:
Now is the time to aerate your lawn if you have a means to do this. Also, toward the end of the month you can purchase top soil in bulk and have it delivered to be spread at your extreme inconvenience, buy it in bags and spread it with a spreader, or purchase some compost tea and apply it with a garden hose sprayer.
You can also put down a pre-emergent weed killer if you have not already done this right now. Use bagged corn gluten or a Green Light project that is the least toxic as possible. DO NOT USE WEED AND FEED. In fact, if you ever see it at the store, push it to the back, or write a note to customers so no one buys it! (I can write more about this later).
Tis the growing season so keep your lawn mowed to ensure healthy roots. I like to keep my lawn at about a 1.5" height, and it varies slightly on each type of grass.
GOOD LUCK!
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