March is still a good time to plant trees.
Can be done this month with good results.
Use fertilizer stakes or granular products to fertilize your trees.
Continue to spray trees with a lightweight horticultural oil (Dormant Oil) if they are infested with scale. Spray several times about 10 days apart.
Trees planted a year or more generally need some pruning. Do not prune pines in March as they tend to bleed more this time of the year.
Continue to plant roses purchased in containers. It is too late to plant bare root roses after the first of this month.
This is not the best time to transplant roses.
Fertilize when new growth begins. Use a premium-quality rose fertilizer.
Regular applications of blackspot treatment should begin as soon as new leaves begin to open.
Prune as early in the month as possible if you did not do so in February. It will not hurt your bushes but your roses will bloom later.
Watch the rainfall and water plants if necessary.
It is still too early to plant warm season grass seed, but you can lay sod.
Warm-season grasses are just waking up and reestablishing a strong root system. Wait until early April to apply the first fertilizer application.
Apply a weed preventing pre-emergent to help prevent summer weeds.
If sufficient growth occurs you should mow. Do not mow grass especially short the first few times. Scalping the lawn is not recommended and can lead to a weakened root system.
If needed, water thoroughly. This encourages roots to grow deep.
Spring months are fun months to plant new shrubs in the garden. It is a good time to replace any shrubs that were damaged through the winter.
Although most shrubs are coming out of dormancy you can still safely transplant since the temperatures are still on the mild side.
This is the month to fertilize shrubs. Apply fertilizer evenly around the plants. They can be applied directly over the mulch or you can pull back the mulch apply the fertilizer and replace the mulch.
Aphids make their appearance on the new growth of a variety of shrubs this time of year. Also, leaf spot diseases may attack new growth on some shrubs.
Finish up pruning summer-flowering shrubs by the end of this month. Do not be too hasty to prune growth that has been damaged by winter freezes. Wait and watch shrubs as they begin to grow and look at which branches are sprouting. Some branches that lost all of their leaves due to freezing weather may look dead but aren’t.
Newly planted shrubs will require watering in. Use of a root stimulator when planting shrubs helps them establish faster prior to the arrival of the heat of summer.
Perennials may not look like much when you purchase them this month. Just imagine how they will look when they bloom in 2 to 3 months – or even at the end of the summer.
Finish up transplanting and dividing perennials as soon as possible.
Established perennials should be fertilized this month.
Snails and slugs may be active, get an early start on control and don’t let their populations build. Control aphids, caterpillars with approved aids.
Not much pruning is necessary during active growing periods.
Apply water slowly over time with a sprinkler or soaker hose to ensure a deep thorough watering when adequate rain is not received.
The weather has warmed up and you want to plant annuals. It is a tricky time of year – a last freeze or heavy frost can damage any warm weather annuals you plant. Frost cloth can help.
If it has been over 6 weeks since your last application of granular fertilizer, or over 2 weeks since you last used a soluble fertilizer you might want to do so now.
Slugs and snails can be a problem – use an aid to keep them under control.
Dry conditions can occur during this month, if so water deeply and thoroughly whenever irrigation is needed.