The average last frost date is Columbia is March 26th, which means spring is just around the corner. Blustery March blowing winds can dry out winter annuals, so keep them well watered. It’s too early to plant warm season annuals, but planting beds can now be prepared:
- Mix in compost.
- Determine sun and shade conditions. There’s big difference to your plants between morning sun and afternoon sun. If your bed receives afternoon shade, then plant shade-loving plants.
- Measure the size of your bed. Use this figure to calculate how many plants to buy based on spacing guidelines on plant tags. Save money by not buying too many plants.
- Pre-Emergent Herbicide and Fertilizer
- Warm season grasses such as Centipede, Bermuda, Zoysia, and St. Augustine need to have a pre-emergent herbicide applied when the Forsythia (Yellow Bells) shrubs are blooming.
- Avoid purchasing combination “weed and feed products” offered in many big box retail stores. They are purchased by the store for the entire nation, and are inappropriate for our warm season grasses.
- Do not fertilize warm season grasses until they come out of dormancy or “green up”, which will likely be in April.
- If you wait until April to apply pre-emergent herbicide, it will be too late to prevent weeds in your lawn.
- To determine how much herbicide to buy, measure the length of the yard and multiply by the width: This will give you the square footage. Generally, a bag covers 2,500 to 5,000 square feet.
- Fire Ants
- Late March and April are great times to treat fire ants. Fire ants will burrow down deep when the weather is cold or hot, but will be very active in spring and fall.
- One of the best products on the market is “Over & Out”. It takes about six weeks to completely remove the ants, but control can last for up to three years because it kills the queen. Well worth the wait!
Overcrowded perennials can be divided now.
Keep your newly planted roses watered and fertilized. As a general rule, avoid getting the leaves wet to prevent the leaf spot that many roses are prone to getting. If you want to plant a rose that seems resistant to leaf spot, try the ‘Knockout’ roses. Another rose to try is the next generation of rose that has the ‘Knockout Red’ as one of its parents. It’s called the ‘Home Run’ Rose. It has all the great qualities of long blooming time and disease resistance, but it stays more compact than the ‘Knockout’ roses. Like a fabulous pink rose? Try the ‘Belinda’s Dream’ Rose. This rose can be seen on Gervais Street in medians throughout the Vista area. Developed in Texas, this rose has impressed me with its drought and heat tolerance and the oversized blooms in contrast to its compact size. This rose hasn’t needed any pruning to control its size. The foliage has a bluish tint that contrasts so beautifully with its pink flowers.
There’s much confusion about pruning shrubs. As general rule, only prune spring blooming shrubs after they have finished blooming. For non-spring blooming shrubs, cut back before spring growth. To maintain the shape of a hedge, clip off the lighter green growth when it emerges in the spring. Monitor shrubs for insects.
March is still a great month for planting trees. Don’t forget to consider the mature size of the tree when choosing the type of tree you may be considering purchasing. Always call 811 to have your utilities located before you dig.
