Beverley Square West Association

In the Garden Corner 2-3/09 Vera Julia Gordon

Feb 26, 2009

March. Spring arrives officially on March 20 ?– the Vernal Equinox ?– when the hours of daylight equal the hours of darkness, so in the Northern hemisphere the daylight hours become increasingly longer and the sun rides higher in the sky. Spring becomes visible too: crocus bloom and forsythia flowers open; tree buds swell; grass is greener ?– and garden activities speed up. There may be several days of balmy weather, but New York has had major March snowstorms with several feet of snow and wind-generated drifts, so keep the snow shovel handy! Don?’t turn o the outdoor water too soon lest you have burst pipes.
Another sign of Spring is the return of Daylight Savings Time which occurs this year on March 8. It is easy enough to turn the clock ahead one hour, but to reset our own internal clocks takes a day or so. Think of it as a case of jet lag.
In March sweep leaves and fallen branches from lawns; compost them. Wait until the soil warms (late March or early April) before clearing mulch from planting beds and around bushes. Work it into the soil, but if early plants like crocus and primrose are there but can?’t be seen, thin the cover or brush it away from the plants.
In mid to late March, cut branches from forsythia, apple and other fruit trees, even dogwood to force indoors in water and bright light (but not in bright sun). If you see pre-cooled daffodils for sale, buy them to grow indoors. Check your resting amaryllis: if you have not already done so, bring them to a sunny window and give them a starter watering with warm water and fertilizer at half rate.
About March 25 is the usual time to prune roses. Cut back hybrid tea and other bush roses to about 15 inches high. Cut the stems at an angle, just above an outward facing bud. Cut out any brown stems; open up the center of the bush; if there are crossing branches, cut out one. If it is a grafted rose, cut out any branches from below the graft. Cut climbing roses so that the laterals remain, but growth from them is only about an inch long. Shorten any very long laterals. Remove dead (brown) branches, and if you have many canes, cut out the oldest completely, even if you lose some laterals as a result. Tie laterals into position on a fence or lattice. If you grow clematis with your climbing roses, cut back, removing the tangle of last year?’s growth. Leave the strong main stems.
Concerning seeds, we are all eager for those flowers and veggies, but timing is everything! Read the seed packet, and then work backwards from setting-out time (likely to be mid-May when soils have really warmed). Note the likely germination time and allow about a month?’s growth to setting out. You want stocky plants, not spindly, floppy seedlings. It is better to start seeds a week or so later; the plants will catch up. Seed packets are very informative.
March 7 is ?“Making Brooklyn Bloom?” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden ?– a day of lectures and demonstrations. You may get some ideas for what you will want to grow for your contribution to the ?“Greenest Block in Brooklyn?” contest.
Enjoy your early Spring garden.