Ground rules and
tools for March
March 4, 2004
by Jerome Janak
Master Gardener Intern
Transplants such as tomato, pepper and eggplants can be
planted in the garden at this time. Cucumber
and squash transplants may also be planted in order to provide earlier picking
than if planted from seed.
Cucumber plants are shown planted next to a trellis in order to conserve space
and allow for easier
harvesting.
Photo by
Jerome Janak,
By the time this article is published, the average last freeze date for our
area will have passed, and it is, therefore, time to plant the spring vegetable
garden.
The average last freeze date for
It is wise practice for the ground temperature in this area to be within the
65 to 85 degree germination soil temperature range generally required by the
vegetable crops recommended for planting in the spring garden. In fact, in checking my garden's dark loam soil temperature on the
afternoon of Feb. 22, it already showed planting depth temperatures in the
lower 70s.
Therefore, the major emphasis of this week's article will be on the
vegetable garden, although I will first offer some ground rules and tools applicable
to other yard and garden areas for this month.
Remember that many trees and shrubs are damaged or killed each year by the
careless application of weed killers, including those found in fertilizer and
weed killing mixes. Always read and follow label directions very carefully.
Weeds in a lawn usually indicate a poor lawn-management program and can usually
be crowded out in a healthy turf.
It is time to divide existing clumps of fall-blooming perennials, such as
chrysanthemums, autumn asters, Mexican marigold mint, and physostegia
(obedient plant). Separate the clumps into individual plants, and set them 8 to
10 inches apart in groupings of five or more. Be sure to prepare the bed area
well by spading in 3 to 5 inches of organic material into the top 8 to 10
inches of soil. For long lasting fertility, add 3 to 5 pounds of cottonseed
meal or slow-release fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed area.
Select and order caladium tubers as well as geranium and coleus plants for
April and early May planting. Do not plant caladiums until soil temperature
reaches 70 degrees F. For early color in the landscape, try some of the
following annuals as transplants: ageratums, cockscombs, fibrous rooted
begonias, coreopsis, cosmos, cleomes, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, phlox, portulacas, salvias, sweet alyssums, sunflowers, and
zinnias. Start hanging baskets of petunias, ferns and others for another
dimension in landscape color.
As camellia and azalea plants finish blooming, fertilize them with 3 pounds
of azalea-camellia fertilizer per 100 square feet of bed area. Check mulch and
add where needed. Consider using pine needles, pine bark, or other similar
organic materials. Remember when starting and maintaining these varieties that
soil acidity is a key factor. A good pH range is 5 to 6. Avoid locating next to
concrete walls and walks.
Freeze-damaged beds of Asiatic jasmine ground cover should be sheared back
just as new growth starts to encourage new growth from the base. Also, pruning
of evergreens and summer flowering trees and shrubs should be completed in
early March. Prune spring-flowering trees and shrubs as soon as they finish
blooming.
Beware of closeout sales on bare-root trees and shrubs. The chance of
survival is rather low on bare-root plants this late in the season. Your best
bet at this time of year is to depend on container-grown or balled-and-burlapped plants for landscape use.
As mentioned earlier, planting of the home garden for this area should now
begin in earnest. For the spring garden, delaying planting too long can run
into yield and maturity problems due to the onset of higher temperatures as
late spring and summer approaches. Besides, the hot weather can become too
physically uncomfortable, therefore lessening the pleasure of working in the garden.
My experience in gardening has shown that improved and longer production
will generally occur when the spring vegetable garden is planted as early as
weather conditions allow. This is particularly true with slow-maturity
varieties such as tomatoes, Irish potatoes, eggplant and melons that require 80
or more days to mature. The tomato sets fruit within a narrow temperature range
with maximum fruit set occurring when night temperatures are in the 60 to 70
degree range for at least part of the night. The setting of fruit stops when
night temperatures exceed 75 degrees. Higher daytime temperatures exceeding 90
degrees will also negatively influence tomato production.
If you haven't done so yet, now is the time to prepare the garden plot for actual planting. The Feb. 5 and Feb. 12 "Gardeners' Dirt" articles provided excellent presentations on garden planning, preparation and timing as well as raised bed construction. Please consult these articles along with all the other previous "Gardeners' Dirt" articles that can be found and referenced online at the Victoria County Master Gardeners Association's web page located at:
http://www.vcmga.org/2004_Feb05.html
http://www.vcmga.org/2004_Feb12.html
As a home gardener, one of the first major decisions is deciding which
vegetables to grow. The table with this article lists crops and varieties
suitable for small and large gardens for planting at this time. Although not
listed in this table, lettuce and parsley transplants and beet and chard seed
plantings should still have a reasonable degree of success. This table is meant
to be a practical guide for selecting appropriate vegetables to be planted at
this time and does not by any means include the total list of vegetables that
can be grown in this area. There are many other crops that could be planted but
are more suitable for planting either earlier in the season or in the
fall/winter garden.
Choose vegetables that are family favorites, but that also return a good
portion of nutritious food for the time and space required. Vine crops such as
cucumbers, watermelons and cantaloupes require large amounts of space. Planting
these on a fence or trellis will allow growing them in less space. I have
excellent success planting cucumbers using a wire livestock panel which is
supported upright between three metal fence posts. This provides high quality
and easy-to-pick cucumbers while being space efficient enough to use in a
smaller garden space.
Once you have decided what to plant you must next get your selections into
the ground. If you have purchased seeds in packets to plant in your garden,
refer to the package instructions for proper spacing and depth. However, if you
are planting seeds purchased in bulk or given to you by a fellow gardener, a
general rule for planting vegetable and flower seeds is to cover the seeds with
soil equal to 2 or 3 times the seeds width (not their length.) This rule is
especially true if you are planting in heavy soil with a high silt or clay
content. The depth is not as crucial with sandy or highly organic soil. In
fact, a band of sand, fine compost or vermiculite 4-inches wide by 1/4 inch
thick placed over your planting in heavy soil will help retain soil moisture
and reduce crusting, making it easier for seedlings to push through the soil
surface.
If you are planting transplants into your garden, choose plants that have
good roots and are stocky, healthy and free from disease. Water them several
hours before transplanting and plant them into the garden on a shady day in
late afternoon or early evening to prevent wilting. Dig a hole large enough to hold
the plant's roots and slightly deeper than previously planted.
Tomato plants are an exception to this rule since they will develop roots
all along their stems making it possible to plant them at a deeper depth or
even tilted on their sides if they are leggy. Place the plant in the hole
taking care not to disturb the roots. This is especially important when
planting plants such as squash, parsley or cucumbers. Once they are
transplanted, apply water. Remember extra care at beginning growth will result in
more productive and healthy plants.
Now that you have planted, remember that adequate soil moisture is essential
for good crop growth. During the first two weeks of growth as plants are
becoming established see that they receive about an inch of water per week
either from rain, irrigation or both.
Continued care in irrigation, weeding, insect and disease control, and fertilization throughout the growing season hopefully will provide you with a bountiful harvest of fresh and nutritious vegetables. Additional and more detailed information is available by accessing the Texas Home Gardening Guide Page within the Master Gardener's web site mentioned above or from the Extension office.
http://www.vcmga.org/TexasHomeGardeningGuide.html