Pacific Northwest Gardening in the Merry Month of March

“Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade.”
― Charles Dickens, Great Expectations

•  Weed, weed, weed!

  

•   Add compost or other soil amendments to prepare for spring planting.
•   Prune roses and clean up all debris beneath them.
•   Prune perennials with hollow stems like phygelius and fuchsia.
•   Remove mulch that was protecting plants from winter cold.
•   Plant cool season crops like lettuce, radish, peas, cauliflower, cabbage and leafy greens.
•   Divide summer blooming perennials, wait on spring blooming perennials until after they flower.
•   Start the slug patrol.  Keep them in check early by tossing them in a bucket of soapy water or use an iron phosphate product.
•   Cut faded flowers from heath (winter heathers).
•   Plant bare trees and fruit such as blueberries, raspberries and currants.
•   Fertilize trees, shrubs and perennials with a good organic fertilizer.

Planting

• Bare root roses.  Choose disease resistant varieties for our climate.

The average last frost  March 22 but the safe date is April 15 in Western Washington.