Thursday 8 December 2011

Doon Gardening Society Monthly News Letter - MARCH


Doon Gardening Society Monthly News Letter - MARCH

Dear Gardeners,

Welcome to the month of MARCH and with it the colourful month of spring.

March is the month when many of the beautiful spring flowering perennials begin to bloom. You must have planted the following plants during Oct/Nov and now they should be blooming:

Aster
Alyssum
Antirrhinum
Asperula
Aubrietia
Begonia
Calendula
Cabbage Ornamental
Calceolaria
Candytuft
Capsicum Ornamental
Carnation
Cineraria
Cornflower
Dahlia
Daisy
Dianthus
Gazania
Gerbera
Hollyhock
Larkspur
Lobella
Marigold
Limulus
Nasturtium
Paper flower
 Pansy
Petunia
Phlox
Poppy
Primula,
Ranunculus
Rudbeckia
Salvia
Sweet pea
Sweet Sultan
Sweet Williams
Snowdrops
Verbena
Viola


What to plant in March

This is the right time to plant bulbs of the following plants:

Achimenes
Amaryllis
Caladium
Cana
Crinum
Football lily
Eucharis
Gloriose
Gloxinia
Hemorocalls (Day Lily)
Jacobian lily
Lycoris
Tigridia
Tuberose (Rajniganda)
Zephyr Lily





Shrubs and trees
In most areas it is still possible to do dormant spraying of fruit trees until the 15th, after that date dilute the spray by 1/2.
Spraying should be done on a still day with the temperature above 5 degrees C. Late March and early April is a good time to transplant shrubs and trees. As soon as the soil is workable, but before buds have swelled or broken open, you can move shrubs and trees.

Fertilise shrubs and trees if this wasn't done in February. Use an acid type rhododendron fertiliser to feed evergreens, conifers, broad leaf evergreens, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.

Use an all-purpose fertilizer to feed roses and other deciduous trees and shrubs. If you use granular type fertilisers, be sure to water it in thoroughly.

Finish pruning fruit trees this month - before the buds swell.

Perennials, annuals, and bulbs
There is often a strong temptation to start removing winter mulches from your flower beds.

WAIT!!! Pull the mulch off gradually as the plants show signs of new growth. The purpose of winter mulch is to act as a protector from sudden changes of temperature and chilling winds, so keep in mind that it is still winter.

Acclimatize your plants by removing the mulch over a period of days, allowing the light and air to reach the new growth slowly. It is much better to remove the mulch a little later than to remove it to early.

Roses can be pruned this month. Severe pruning results in nicer long stemmed flowers and more compact bushes.
Begin to spray roses for black spot.

Feed roses.

What to sow
Sow seeds of summer blooming annuals indoors.

Seeds which were started indoors last month may be transplanted from the flats into peat pots and given dilute fertiliser.

If you have a greenhouse, it is time to take cuttings of 'wintered over' plants such as Coleus, Chrysanthemums, Geraniums, and other perennials.

Alternating thawing and freezing can tear plant roots and even force the plant right out of its hole. If you notice any plants that have heaved, push them back into the earth, and tamp lightly with your foot.

Divide and transplant summer blooming perennials and fertilise established ones as soon as new growth appears.
Pruning
Prune winter Jasmine after flowering; cut honeysuckle back to 3ft.

Remove all dead blooms from bulbs.

Fertilise any bulbs that have finished blooming with bone meal or bulb booster.

Pinch off tips of Sweet Pea seedlings and Mums, when they are 4 inches tall.

Fruits and veggies
Take a little time to prepare the vegetable garden soil for planting.
The additions of well-rotted manure, processed manure, peat moss or
It is the last month to harvest the winter crop like Broccoli, Celery, Cauliflower, Cabbage. Methi and Spinach. However with the onset of summers these need to be protected from pest attacks. Spray your plants with Neem spray or Malathion or Fenvalerate at 2ml per liter of water, at least 10 days prior to lifting these plants.

It is the right time to plant the summer/monsoon vegetable plants as under:

Beans
Bitter Gourd
Bottle Gourd
Cucumber
Capsicum
Chilies
Lettuce
Lobia
Okra
Pumpkin
Ridge Gourd
Radish
Tinda
tomatoes



It is also the right time to plant Strawberries, Blueberries, Currants, Grapes and fruit trees.
House Plants

House plants will react to longer days and brighter light at this time by putting out new growth. The end of this month is a good time to pinch them back to generate new growth and to thicken them.
You can then begin fertilising again with a dilute solution of soluble house plant food.

Turn your houseplants a quarter turn each week to make sure all sides of the plant receive adequate light, and to keep the shape of the plant balanced.

Mist or spray your houseplants to clean away the winters dust, prevent Spider Mites and add a little humidity.

Remain vigilant in watching for insects and pests. It is much easier to win a 'bug war' if you are aware of the infestation in its early stages.

Odds and ends
The most dreaded tasks of all are weeding, but it is one that really needs to be accomplished before the weeds have a chance to flower and go to seed.
Remember once the weeds go to seed you can be fighting that weed seed for up to seven years or more. Most weeds can simply be pulled or cultivated out of the garden while they are young.

Turn the compost pile, adding any course mulch which was removed from the garden to it.

Pest control
Keep an eye out for Aphids (spray off with water) and Cutworms (Cutworm Dust).


The secret to preventing pest problems is simple. Just plant more flowers! Borage, sweet alyssum, sunflowers, calendula, and cosmos lure in pollinators and the beneficial insects that help keep aphids and other bad bugs in check.

Lawns
Repair damaged areas of the lawn. Dethatch, rake or aerate. Apply Dolomite Lime to sweeten the soil if needed. Most lawns will need a spring feeding but if thatching or liming needs to be done, do those jobs first. If moss is a problem, a combination fertiliser and moss killer can be applied, to do both jobs in one easy application.
Over-seeding can be done as the last step, after the lawn has been fertilised.
Soil test
Test your soil for pH to see if any amendments are necessary.
A general rule of thumb is to add 2 kg of lime per 20 sq meters (100 sq. ft.) of garden for every pH point below 6.5, or 1 lb. of sulfur per 100 sq. ft. for every pH point above 7.5.

Sawdust, composted oak leaves, wood chips, peat moss, cottonseed meal, and leaf mold lower the pH while ashes of hardwoods, bone meal, crushed marble, and crushed oyster shells raise the pH. The best way to adjust pH is gradually, over several seasons.

Other odd and ends
March is a good time to note areas of poor drainage. If there are pools of water in your yard that do not drain. Fill in the low spot or scoop out a channel for the water to drain away.

Clean out all of your birdhouses now, so that they will be ready when the birds return.

Repair any fencing, arbors, or trellis work that is weak or has broken over the winter.

Check the plants under the eaves of the house and under tall evergreens to see that they have sufficient moisture.

The winters are slowing giving way to the spring. There may be some rains during the first week of March, which is quite normal during this period. The day temperature in Dehra Dun is now around 18 - 24° C and the night comes down to 08 - 12° C.

Climbing roses should be thinned out to get rid of last year’s tangled growth.

 
House plants may notice the longer days, and begin growing. You can begin feeding them again, but use a dilute 50% fertilizer mix until the growth is robust.

Continue feeding our feathered friends, you'll want them to stick around to help you in insect control when the weather warms again.

Did you check your garden tools yet? Don't wait 'til the spring rush to get your mower back in shape!
                                       

Regards and happy gardening

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