March:
What to Do:
Fertilize
Palms: Choose
a
10-5-15, 12-6-18 fertilizer labeled as a “Palm Special” or
proportionally
similar fertilizer containing 1% magnesium, 1 to 2 % iron and
manganese, sulfur
and trace amounts of zinc, copper and boron. Fertilizers
that provide slow release of
their nitrogen, potassium and
magnesium are best. Applications of
these fertilizers should be made 4 times per year at the rate of 1.5
pounds per
100 square feet (10 foot by 10 foot) or 1 pound to 5 pounds per
established tree.
Recommended months to fertilize are March, June, August and October. Fertilizer should be applied to the entire
ornamental planting area or at least
the entire palm canopy area and watered in lightly.
Remove
Cold-Damaged Growth from Plants: Frost or freeze-damaged growth
on plants should be removed now. To
determine how much of the plant you need to cut back, gently scrape the
plant's
bark to see if the cambium layer is green (living) or brown (dead). Prune all dead material.
Prune Landscape
Plants that Require
Shaping and Size Reduction:
Cut each branch separately with hand
shears
to maintain a neat, naturally shaped shrub. Note:
Azaleas and Gardenias should not
be pruned until after they bloom. Remove
dead foliage from ornamental grasses
and cut stems to 4 – 12 inches above the ground depending on the
size of the
clump.
Watch for Pests: Lubber
grasshoppers hatch this month. They are
black with a yellow to orange
line down their sides. Young lubbers
should be hand-picked or
treated with a pesticide. Aphids feed on
the underside of new growth and cause cupped and distorted leaves. Mites thrive in the dry weather of Florida’s springtime,
sucking plant juices from
the underside of leaves. Forceful sprays
of water will dislodge both insects. Lady
Beetles and several other beneficial insects are effective predators
and will
suppress aphids. Insecticidal soap
sprays and other pesticides will also control these critters if their
natural
enemies do not.
Use Oak Leaves
as Mulch or in a Compost
Pile: A mulch of oak leaves around ornamental
plants will suppress weeds, conserve soil moisture and add organic
matter to
the soil. The yearly addition of leaves
may gradually acidify soils. Have your soil pH tested to see if lime is
needed. If you choose to compost leaves,
be sure to thinly layer them with manure or grass clippings to
accelerate the
decay process. Moisten, but don't
saturate each layer. Turning the pile
occasionally will also speed up decomposition.
Air-Layer to Propagate Plants: Select
pencil-thick branches and remove
a ring of bark about 1 to 2
inches wide, about 12 to 18 inches from branch tip.
Gently scrape the girdled area to remove
green tissue and dust it with a rooting hormone. Cover
the area with a handful of moist
sphagnum moss and enclose with a small sheet of plastic tied at both
ends. Then cover with tin foil. Peel back the foil and check for roots in 4
to 6 weeks. When sufficient roots have
been formed in the moss, cut the branch below the rooted area and plant
in a
container.
Pinch Out
Growing Tips
and Old Blooms of Annuals:
To increase branching and flowering,
remove
1/2 to 1 inch of tip growth from each stem. Flowering
annuals produce blooms on the
new growth. The more branching that you
encourage, the
lovelier the flowering display.
Best
bets for starting a garden this month are:
Vegetables: Cantaloupe,
Collards, Cowpeas, Mustard,
Okra, Papaya, Peanuts, Pole
Beans, Pumpkins, New Zealand Spinach, Sweet Potatoes, Turnips (for
tops),
Parsnips (for bottoms) and Watermelons.
Tropical Vegetables: Boniato, Calabaza, Malanga,
and Metula.
Herbs: Dill,
Fennel, Garlic Chives, Marjoram,
Mint, Rosemary, Sage, Landica and
Thyme.
Flowers: Achimines,
Amaryllis, Balsam, Cosmos,
Cockscombs, Forget-Me-Nots,
Gaillardias, Gladiolas, Gloxinias, Lilies, Petunias, Portulacas,
Salvia,
Scabiosa, Strawflowers, Zephyranthes, and Zinnias.
Sources:
Florida Home Grown; Florida Gardening
Month by Month
Also
of
interest:
Selby
Botanical
Garden
in Sarasota
Sunken
Gardens,
1825 4th Street N, St Pete.
Pinellas
County Extension Service
calendar for lots more gardening
events.
City
Beautiful Commission
in St. Petersburg
Gizella
Kopsick Palm Arboretum
in St. Petersburg
Monthly
meetings at Moccasin Lake
Nature Park
2750 Park Trail Ln., Clearwater:
Clearwater
Audubon Society
1st Monday, October – May, 7:00-9:00pm.
Pinellas
Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
First Wednesday of month, 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.
Suncoast
Sierra Club
3rd Thursday, 7:30-9:30pm
