What to do now:

• Plant shrubs, container roses, perennials and trees now.

• Spread pre-emergent on your lawn and in your flower beds if you have not done so yet this spring.

• You can lay sod in your yard.  It will not be green, but the roots will grow into your soil and the grass should begin to green up by the middle of April depending upon temperature.

• You can fertilize your rose bushes once you begin to see new growth emerging.

• Fertilize established shrubs in late March or early April, use an all purpose granular fertilizer (13-13-13) and make sure to water it in thoroughly.

• Watch for aphids on plants this time of year.  They are small and come in a variety of colors and can be found on the new growth of your plant.  Treat with insecticide and prevent re-infestation with a systemic insecticide.

• Finish up pruning any summer blooming shrubs by the end of March.

• Established perennials should be cleaned up (remove dead stems, leaves, etc.) and fertilized this month or in early April.  Use an all-purpose granular fertilizer (13-13-13) and water it in thoroughly.

• Fertilize seasonal color (annuals) with a water-soluble fertilizer to promote growth and flowering.

• You can continue to prune deciduous trees during March.

What not to do yet:

• Wait until mowing grass (not weeds) 2 times before fertilizing your lawn.

• Wait until after your azaleas bloom to fertilize the plant.

• The soil is not warm enough to plant warm season grass seed like Centipede, Bermuda or Zoysia.  Soil temperature must be over 65 degrees for the seed to germinate.  Wait until our night-time temps are at least 65 degrees consistently (mid April).

• Do not prune pine trees in March – they tend to bleed more during this time of the year.