Any Gardeners Out There? (Well you SHOULD be)...

http://www.almanac.com/garden/jobs/index.php?month=3
Times like these, even if you don't think you have enough room, you probably do.
I believe we will all benefit from growing a few of our own foods.

Not to mention the $$$ you will save! All that, and it's fun too!


NOTE: There isn't a child over 4 that cannot pull a weed either! Keeps them busy, off the couch or computer, and out of trouble too.

You just have to love yourself enough to do it!

XOXO
Anne

PS
Yes, that is Casey in that picture, picking beans. Picture taken a few years ago.
(Back when she HAD a pancreas)!
hehehe


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Gardening Jobs by Month - from The Old Farmer's Almanac

MARCH 2009

***Re-pot houseplants so they will grow well during spring and summer.

***Water gloxinias and African violets from the bottom, avoiding getting any water on the leaves. Dust the leaves with a small, soft brush.

***Consider ordering a few blueberry plants. Not only will they provide delicious fruit for jams, muffins, and pies, but they are also an excellent choice for landscaping plants, offering scarlet fall foliage and creamy white spring flowers. Blueberries serve neatly in a hedge or as specimen plants.

***When choosing fruit trees, remember that apple, apricot, and pear trees need two varieties present to ensure pollination. If space is limited, try peach, nectarine, or sour cherry, which will bear fruit on a single tree.

***Garden work should begin when a lump of soil squeezed in the hand is dry enough to fall apart slowly.

***Uncover bulb beds and hardy borders near the middle of the month.

***Plant deciduous trees and shrubs this month.

***Trim out the old canes from the rows of berry bushes. The bramble fruits are borne on new wood of last year's growth.

***Prune fruit trees until spring buds swell. Maple and birch should not be pruned until they leaf out.

***Sprinkle wood ashes around berries and fruit trees. The potash will enhance the sweetness of the fruit.

***Remove mulches from snowdrops and crocuses so the shoots can come through.

***Uncover mulched perennial and strawberry beds gradually, pressing into place any plants that have been heaved up.

***Dig up over-wintered parsnips as soon as the soil is loose enough. They will not benefit from any additional time in the ground.

***Set out pansies as soon as the ground is ready. They'll happily withstand cold weather and will bloom steadily if the spent blossoms are kept picked.

***Remove the mulch from your perennial beds gradually. Take it off as the season progresses and add it to your compost pile.

***If your compost pile has been frozen all winter, add some manure now and turn it frequently.

***Check trellises, latticework, and fences for winter damage. Repair before spring growth begins.

***Dormant spraying for fruit trees should be done before spring growth begins.

***Resist the temptation to uncover spring-flowering plants such as daffodils and tulips. Mulch may be loosened, but the shoots will still benefit from protection against cold, drying winds.

***Manure can be spread over the garden now, especially on the asparagus and rhubarb beds.

***Be sure that flats and pots used for starting seed are perfectly clean. Likewise, the soil should be clean and sterile.

***Mark and label your sown seeds, indoors and out.

***Water newly started seedlings carefully. A pitcher may let the water out too forcefully. A mist sprayer is gentle but can take a long time. Try using a meat basting syringe, which will dispense the water effectively without causing too much soil disruption.

***Give peas a chance. The earlier they mature, the sweeter they'll be. Sow them right under the snow, if necessary, but save some for a later planting as well.

***Spread dark plastic intended for mulch out over the garden site to hasten the warming of the soil. This will provide for earlier and better germination.

***Keep plastic milk jugs or other coverings on hand to protect the flowers of pansies, crocuses, and other early bloomers against the return of severe weather.

***Start seedlings of annuals in flats -- aster, larkspur, alyssum, and balsam should be started now (or 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost date in your area). If summer season is short, zinnias should be started now. They will need to be potted up in individual pots after 4 to 5 weeks.

***Start some vegetables in flats now: Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes, and lettuce are good choices.

***Seed alpine strawberries now to make attractive and bountiful hanging baskets for summer.

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As predicted, the La Niña has lasted through the winter and will linger into spring. This has created severe drought in the western and southern United States.

************* Coping with Drought
Prepare ahead for a dry growing season

Plants drink their food. If your soil dries out, your plants will starve—or wilt. Take these steps to avoid disaster.



**** Improve the Soil
Rainwater sluices through pure sand at the rate of 20 inches per hour or even faster, taking with it everything plants need to survive. Soil with lots of organic matter slows the transition of water from the soil to the subsoil, giving plants a chance to take in what they need. To help retain moisture, mix lots of peat moss and compost into the soil at planting time.



**** Plan a Smaller Garden
Take stock of what you really need to grow and don't exceed your calculations. For example, two or three hills of zucchini and cucumbers will easily meet the needs of a family of four.



****Choose Bush Varieties
Plants that grow low to the soil will lose less water through transpiration than those that spread rampantly (Hubbard squash) or twine up to the sky (pole beans). Check descriptions in seed catalogs for varieties that need little space and can tolerate dry conditions.



****Place Plants Closer Together
Leaves from neighboring plants will shade the soil, helping to conserve surface moisture and reduce weed growth. Plant beans about an inch apart, tomatoes about 18 inches apart.



****Mulch Well
Mulch prevents moisture from evaporating directly from the soil surface, and it can greatly reduce weeds. Use whatever you have at hand--newspaper; black plastic; old carpet; large, flat stones--and apply it when the soil is wet. (Don't mulch with peat moss; it dries out and forms a mat on the top of the soil that easily sheds water. Instead, work peat moss well into the soil.)



**** Weed Diligently
Smother weeds or pull them out--roots and all. Don't make your plants compete with weeds for moisture.



**** Reduce Evaporation
Water your garden in the late afternoon or early in the morning--times when the least amount of water will evaporate from the leaves. To encourage roots to develop, soak the garden thoroughly rather than watering it lightly several times.



**** Use a Drip System
Drip irrigation provides greater water savings than sprinklers. (Consult your county extension agent for tips on setting up drip irrigation.) If you install a drip system, allow for different beds or separate parts of the garden to be on separate sets of commands. The water needs of plants differ widely, and a system that delivers one rate of water to your entire plot can be wasteful.



**** Strip Off Leaves
Large, bushy tomato plants lose a lot of water through their leaves. Once the green tomatoes reach their full size, strip off most of the leaves to reduce evaporation and keep water going to the ripening fruit.



**** Harvest at Once
As soon as a fruit or vegetable is ripe, remove it from the plant. Pull up any plants that aren't productive or that are past their prime.

http://www.almanac.com/garden/starting-garden/watering-garden