Tag Archives: gardening

March – Gardening Tasks

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March Garden Tasks (Rogue Valley, Oregon)  

 

Vegetable Gardens

Seeds to direct Sow in mid to late March:  Peas, radishes, spinach, lettuce, kale, arugula, chard, carrots, beets, and parsnips. Also Plant:  Onion sets, and perennial roots like asparagus, artichokes, and rhubarb.

 

Seeds to start indoors for May Transplanting:

  • Tomatoes & Peppers:Essential to start NOW for transplanting in mid-to-late May.
  • Brassicas:Broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.
  • Herbs:Basil, parsley and cilantro
  • Other vegetables :Celery, eggplants, and leeks
  • Potatoes:Buy seed potatoes, sprout (“chit”) them in a cool, dark place, then plant.

 

Fruit & Berry Crops

  • Planting:March is ideal for planting fruit trees, strawberries, and cane-berries (raspberries and blackberries).
  • Pruning:Finish pruning fruit trees (apples, pears, cherries, peaches) before buds swell.
  • Fertilizing:Feed raspberries and blueberries with organic, acidic fertilizer.

 

Flower Beds & Landscaping

  • Clean & Mulch:Clear away dead foliage, apply compost, and mulch beds to suppress weeds.
  • Divide Perennials:Divide and transplant summer-blooming perennials.
  • Bulbs:Plant dahlia, lily, and gladiola tubers.
  • Pruning:Prune winter-flowering shrubs after they bloom and ornamental grasses.

 

Maintenance & Pests

  • Slug Control:Actively monitor and manage slugs using baits like Sluggo or traps, as they love new spring growth.
  • Soil Care:Avoid walking on or tilling heavy, wet, or saturated soil to prevent compaction.
  • Fertilizing:Apply fertilizer to evergreen shrubs (rhododendrons, azaleas) and roses.
  • Lawns:Sharpen mower blades and set the mower height to 1.5–2.5 inches. Apply Lime to increase alkalinity, boost nutrient uptake.   Treat lawn for moss with ferrous sulfate (iron sulfate).

Attracting Pollinators

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Pollinator populations have declined significantly in recent years, mainly due to habitat loss. Homeowners can help by creating pollinator-friendly gardens. Knowing plant traits such as flower color, shape and scent will guide you to which plants to choose for pollinators.

Hummingbirds are attracted to flowers of vivid shades of red, yellow, and purple with a tubular shape that they can access with their long narrow beaks.

Bees prefer purple, blue, orange, or yellow flowers with short tubes or no tubes which they can easily access.

Butterflies are drawn to white, pink, red, yellow, or purple flowers with a place they can perch while sipping on nectar.

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ANISE HYSSOP (Agastache foeniculum)
Attributes: Hyssop supports a wide range of pollinators, including hummingbirds, honey bees, bumble

bees, carpenter bees, butterflies and night flying moths.
Bloom time: June until first frost
Exposure: Full sun
Habit: Upright habit with flower spikes blooming throughout summer.
Height/Spread: 2 to 4 feet tall, 1 to 3 feet wide
Flower color: Varieties available are purple, lavender, red, pink, orange-yellow
USDA Zones: 5-9, for most varieties
Native: North America
Firewise: Yes
Important Note on fire resistant plants: It’s crucial to remember that fire resistance can vary within the same plant species depending on local conditions and specific varieties and some plants considered fire-resistant, may produce flammable dry material that can negate their fire resistance. 

Photo from University of Wisconsin Horticulture Extension: https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/anise-hyssop-agastache-foeniculum/

Posted by: Carlotta Lucas, AGC Member

Fire-wise Native Plant: Grey Rabbitbush

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Plant Name: Ericameria nauseosa, synonym: Chrysothamnus nauseosa
Common names: Grey Rabbitbrush, Rubber Rabbitbush, Chamisa
Plant type: Broadleaf Deciduous Shrub
Height: 3’-9’
Spread: 3’-9
Bloom Time: July to October
Flower Color: Golden Yellow

Exposure: Sun
Soil Requirements: Sandy, fast, well-Draining
Water Needs: Drought Resistant with Deep Tap Root; Little or NO Supplemental Water

Attributes: Woolly Leaves; Attractive to Bees, Butterflies; Other Late Season Pollinators; Supports Bats, Caterpillars; No Serious Disease or Insect Problems

Note: Pungent Smelling Flowers; Cut Twigs Exude Milky Latex; no maintenance except annual shearing; prune in the Winter. Plant has a nauseous disagreeable ordor when the leaves or flowers are crushed, described as pineapple-like by some and foul and rubbery smell by others.
Uses: Desert Landscape; Water-wise plant; Pollinator Gardens; Hedge; Xeriscaping; Erosion Control

Fire-wise Plant: YES
Native To: Southern BC, Great Plains, Mexico, West to Pacific Ocean, Central North America

Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashland & Carlotta Lucas, AGC Members
Photos from Oregon State University: https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/ericameria-nauseosa

Firewise and Native Plant: Golden Chinquapin

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Plant Name: Chrysolepis chrysophylla

Common name: Golden Chinquapin
Plant type: Broadleaf, Evergreen Shrub or Tree
Height: 30’ – 148’;  slow growing
Bloom Time: February – July
Flower Color: White
Exposure: Sun to Light Shade
Soil Requirements: Well-Drained; Clay-Loam, Loam, Sandy Loam, Sand, Bedrock
Water Needs: Low
Attributes: Leaves are dark yellow-green above, the lower side is coated with shiny golden to pale yellow
scales; The Species is Monoecious, with Individuals Bearing both Male and Female Flowers; Supports
Butterflies & Caterpillars; Birds & Rodents Disburse the Seeds; Small Mammals eat Nutritious Nuts; Hosts
Golden Streak Butterfly
Note: Fruit is a Spiny Bur in the Fall; Slow Growing; Transplants with Difficulty; Flowers have Strong Odor.
Uses: Specimen Tree; A Chinquapin is best grown as a specimen tree in drier parts of your garden.
Firewise: YES
Native To: California & Oregon
Oregon Native: YES
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 – 9

Report by: Viki Ashford, AGC Member

Photographer: Zoya Akulova ID: 0000 0000 0716 1182 (2016-07-11) Copyright  @CalPhotos