GV?Gardeners: What to do in the garden in March

In the East, it happens in May. In other parts of the country, it may be June or later. In Southern Arizona, spring springs in March.

Who is not ready to start all of those chores that were to wait “until the last frost danger passes.” The official last frost date for our area is March 15, so go slowly until then.

Winter litter is waiting to be cleaned up. In the desert most plants survive the cold but may freeze to the ground.

As new green growth begins to appear, cut away dead and damaged branches on bougainvillea, lantana, red bird of paradise, Russian sage, Mexican bush sage, Cape honeysuckle, Mount Lemmon marigold, and other tender plants.

If they have become too large, chollas and prickly pears may be cut back. By the end of the month, they will begin to grow quickly.

If your Texas rangers are becoming overgrown, there is still time to trim them. Prune back each stem the same amount over the entire shrub, making the cuts at the junction of branches.

This will maintain the natural shape of the shrub while reducing the overall size. It should not be necessary to prune further this season. Trimming again will greatly reduce the amount of bloom. And please, no lollipops, mushrooms or spaceships!

Mid- to late March is a good time to plant agave, fairyduster, yellow bells, birds of paradise, desert ruellia, and cactus, as well as desert legumes or other desert-adapted trees.

This is also the time to plant citrus trees. Keep in mind the citrus “cold hardiness scale,” with limes being most frost sensitive, followed by lemons, grapefruit, tangelo, sweet oranges, mandarins, and kumquat.

Vegetable growers at the Allen J. Ogden Community Garden are busy preparing their plots and readying transplants for the upcoming season. There are still spring garden plots available for planting tomatoes, peppers, squash, lettuce, spinach, onions, or whatever you wish.

If you want to add spring chores from which you can later put food on the table, give a call to Community Garden Coordinator Gene Keene at 648-2473. He will tell you all about it.

Aphids, spider mites, thrips, and other undesirable insects begin to increase as the weather warms. These can be dislodged by a strong jet of water from the garden hose, or by use of a soap spray.

Spider mites particularly are drawn to hot, dusty areas, so spray leaves with water regularly to remove dust and raise humidity around the plant. Monitoring insects now will help control their numbers in months to come.

When digging, watch for early infestation of grubs eating around roots of cactus and herbaceous plants.

These larva will need to be eradicated with a commercial insecticide.

Unfortunately a general product can also kill beneficial insects, so read the package carefully and follow instructions closely.

Good sources for new plants in March are area fundraising plant sales.

The Green Valley Gardeners will have their semi-annual Cactus & Native Plant Sale on March 12, 13, and 14 near Safeway at Continental Shopping Plaza. Available will be a variety of low-water, easy-maintenance plants that can be planted this month.

March can be a very busy time in the garden, but plan an occasional break to enjoy this special time of year.

Birds are happy; the sun is warming; and new beginnings are all around us. Spring is full of enthusiasm, hope, and beauty. Soon there may even be a sturdy crop of desert wildflowers for our added pleasure!

Mary Kidnocker is a Master Gardener who writes frequently about the subject from a local perspective. Her columns are featured each Sunday. She is president of The Green Valley Gardeners.