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• Tropical &
  Sub-Tropical Gardens

Gardening Tips for March

Tropical and Sub-Tropical Gardens

• Fertilize your landscape plants - citrus, palms, azaleas and camellias will benefit from it. Always carefully read and follow package label instructions for proper rate of application, as well as to confirm you're using the right fertilizer formula for your specific plants.
• Be on the lookout for various insect pests that feed actively on new emerging plant growth. Also keep an eye out for palmetto weevil, which lays its eggs in the leaf bases of stressed or dying palm trees. (The larvae feed on the plant's stem tissue.)
• Remove young weeds in your landscape and garden beds now instead of later. (Think of all that additional weed seed that will germinate if you wait!) Moist soil makes pulling weeds a snap. When you're finished, help prevent weeds from further invading your garden by adding mulch to your beds or planting some attractive groundcovers.
• Plant heat-tolerant beauties known to survive and thrive over your region's hot summer months. Here are two winners to consider:
  • Portulaca is a low-growing plant with numerous small blooms that come in shades of yellow, white, pink, magenta, red, purple, orange and apricot, depending on the variety.
  • Catharanthus roseus is a mounded semi-woody shrub that works well as a foundation plant or in mixed borders. It grows best in full to partial sun and poor to fertile, friable, well-drained soils.
• Consider growing some new seed varieties for 2010 this growing season. The All-America Selections Winners offer disease resistance, earlier blooms and good uniformity (among other worth-growing traits).
• Plant warm-season vegetables - summer squashes, tomatoes, peppers, corn, eggplant, melons and more - now that the soil has warmed up from recent cold spells. Short on planting space? Consider alternative locations for a vegetable garden.
• Build a raised bed for your fruit and vegetable garden.
• Conserve soil moisture, eliminate weeds and provide a "finished look" to your property by applying mulch to landscape beds and borders. A 2-inch layer is all you need.

• Care for ornamental grasses - now is the time to cut back last year's foliage to stimulate new green growth. Bundle and tie the plants before cutting to make removal easier (and neater).
• Repot orchids that need repotting. As the intensity of the sun continues to increase, relocate your orchids to shadier locations.
• Come to The Garden Party and share your gardening adventures and ideas with other green thumbs in your region, as well as around the country. Post pictures of your garden, write a blog, or ask expert gardeners for more help, tips or suggestions on how to enhance your outdoor living experience.