Gardening Activities for March

Anenome nemerosa ‘Royal Blue’

March is a busy time in the garden and there is much to be done.

Pruning

Some shrubs (like forsythia) will begin to bloom soon. These early-blooming shrubs can be pruned immediately after the flowers have finished.

Forsythia – On older plants, remove the oldest canes completely to the ground. Trim the remaining canes back by about one-fourth to one-half.

Hydrangea – Lightly prune mophead and lacecap hydrangeas. Cut off the dried flower-heads by trimming the canes back to the first set of buds (from the top). The paniculata and ‘Annabelle’ hydrangeas are different. These are the hydrangeas with large white blooms in late summer. They can be cut back completely to the ground or as low as you’d like. The blooms will form on new growth.

Ornamental Grasses – Shear back these grasses down to the ground as temperatures begin to rise.

Roses – Prune roses and remove diseased leaves. Hybrid tea roses are generally pruned down to 1-3 feet to the ground. Shrub roses and floribunda roses should be cut back by 1/3 or 1/2. In addition to cutting back, completely remove older canes, diseased canes and those that are thinner than a pencil.

Butterfly Bush (Buddleia) – These shrubs greatly benefit from being cut back to the ground. This also applies to Rose of Sharon (Hisbiscus) and hardy fuchsia.

Other shrubs to be pruned immediately after flowering include:

• Abelia
• Azalea / Rhododendron
• Camellia
• Heath / Heather
• Mahonia
• Quince
• Witch Hazel

Other March Tasks –

• Spread compost over beds and borders
• Plant shrubs, roses, perennials and trees
• Prepare vegetable beds
• Some vegetable seeds can be planted outside now. This includes beets, peas, fava beans, cabbage, green onions, onion sets, shallots, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard, and radish. Wait until the end of the month to plant carrot seeds.
• Some cool season crops (onions, kale, lettuce and spinach) can be planted when the soil is consistently at or above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Chit potatoes for planting later in the month.