Garden Talk in March

Well, here we are at the tail end of March, and what should be happening in my little N Florida garden?

Well, the lawn has already had its first cutting of the season.If you have St. Augustine grass (like we do), now is also the time to begin fertilizing the yard (first in March, then again in May, July and Sept.) if you are prone to doing so. Remember, we have new state fertilization guidelines and restrictions, now: No more than 1lb. nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft., and no more than 1/4 lb. phosphorus/1,000 sq. ft., each time you apply fertilizer. The total amount of nitrogen cannot exceed 4 lbs. per year; phosphorus, 1/2 lb. per year. Be sure to read the fine print on those bags, carefully!

All the dead grass and leaves should be removed from the lawn and composted by now; As usual, we're a little behind on that particular chore. But, the banana trees are all trimmed back, all the citrus trees are de-weeded and fertilized, I'm happy to say, AND my lime tree is blooming!! (yeah, I know YOU know, but I'm beyond excited about that!!) Palm trees should also be fertilized this month, as well as the azaleas when they've finished blooming (this is also a good time to transplant those, if you've a mind to do so.)

Prune the cold weather damaged plants now, after the new growth appears; doing so beforehand can cause you to remove too much, and the plant will take longer to recover. Heavy pruning of the hedges should be done anytime after Mid-March, as well; For more bushy growth, prune just below the bud swells. To retard growth, prune just after growth flush, once the leaves have fully expanded.

And, if you've turned your beds at least two weeks in advance (hahahah....yeah.), now is the time to start planting those tender annuals and vegetables.

Some of the veggies to plant this month: snap beans, lima beans, carrots, celery, corn, cucumbers, lettuce, peppers, potatoes, summer squash, and tomatoes.

Annuals to plant: begonias, coleus, dahlias,daisies, geranuims, impatiens, kalanchoe, marigolds, salvia, periwinkles, phlox, verbenas, and zinnias.