March is the start of spring cleanups and gearing up for the garden year, so it is often the busiest time of the gardening year. While it is true, that if you put the garden to bed just right in the fall, spring chores are less, it is also true that a landscaper’s work is [...]Read More...

This March Planting Guide for Zones 5-6 will help you know what seeds can be planted directly in the garden and indoors in March!

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While March is still very much shrouded in winter, in Zone 4 and Zone 5, this month still signals a pathway to spring. The excitement builds with all of the winter dreaming and planning that has taken place. You are likely eager to see the soil in some cases and do some planting, but it's not quite time for outdoor planting just yet. There are some garden prep and planning, tool assessment, and some fun indoor growing opportunities that can help you keep your focus. March may come in like a lion but hopefully out like a lamb, and before you know it planting season will be underway. As thoughts of harvests and blooms fill your head, peruse our March Garden Checklist Zones 4-5 for tips on all you can do in your garden this month to ensure a robust and healthy garden this year. Visit Your Local Extension Office The month of March is the ideal time to visit your local extension office before the true gardening season gets underway. Each State Department of Agriculture has offices set up within local counties to help gardeners and farmers find local garden resources. These specialized agencies are staffed by experts on gardening and landscaping topics who are ready and willing to answer your questions, troubleshoot problems, and provide local guidelines, advice, and support to all who seek some help in the garden. Soil Test: Obtain a sample of your soil and bring it to your local garden extension office or nursery for a soil test before planting time arrives. Experts can help you identify the quality of your native soil and provide recommendations for amending. Before going to your local extension office or nursery, brainstorm some questions ahead of time. Bring along your garden journal and as you ask gardening questions, jot down suggestions and expert advice. Find out about native plants and what grows best in your region. Gain valuable planting information detailing when you can start thinking about getting new plants and seedlings in the ground. Spring Garden Planning There are still many cold and rainy days ahead where you can keep working on your garden planning in Zone 4 and 5. Keep your garden journal close at hand and dream of warmer days and fruitful gardens. Grab some new gardening magazines and books. Scour your favorite gardening websites for ideas and tips. Use your sketched-out garden design plans and dream boards to figure out where your future plants and seedlings will go. Chart seed and plant varieties. Note their planting specifications, days to germination and maturity, and keep notes about what worked well and what was not entirely successful. This chart will help you plan from year to year by knowing when to sow seeds, plant with optimal spacing, when you can expect blooms, and when to harvest your plantings. If garden pests or diseases were a problem for you last season, it is a great time to research companion plants and spacing provisions to protect and boost your plants' productivity. Decide what you still need to fill unoccupied spaces in your garden beds. Use your vegetable garden planting charts to guide you on what to plant and when, so you will be ready for planting when warmer temperatures roll in. Construct your new raised beds, trellises, and other garden structures indoors for later placement. Garden Tools and Supplies Assessment Spring will be here before you know it, so it is worth repeating on our March Garden Checklist Zones 4-5 that your garden tools should be at the forefront of your mind. If you haven't done so already, be sure that you assess your tools for sharpening and cleaning needs. The lawnmower should receive a fluid change as well. It's best to get all of your gardening supplies in tip-top shape so that when spring rolls in, you are fully prepared for yard and garden work, so you do not have any setbacks. Check your tools for disrepair signs, tune-up and thoroughly clean and sanitize, sharpen blades, and oil up moving parts. These steps will give you confidence for a strong start to the garden season. It is also essential to keep your garden free from diseases that may have plagued your garden last season. Start by using steel wool or a metal grill brush to clean any debris off your garden tools. Wipe surfaces with a damp rag. Use coarse sandpaper to scuff away any signs of rust on metal surfaces. Dab vegetable oil onto a rag and wipe metal surfaces. Use a piece of sandpaper to slough away any rough or splintering spots on wooden handles. Wipe wooden handles down with a rag wet with linseed oil. Stock up on Garden Supplies Garden centers and nurseries should be putting out this year's gardening tools and supplies. Peruse the aisles and snatch up some of the most sought out items on your list while the shelves are fully stocked. If any tools were beyond repair, have gone missing, or you have longed to acquire, now is the time to do it! Once you get your soil test results, you can gather some of the amendments that you need to boost your soil's performance. If you haven't shopped for seeds yet, you can be sure to have them on time by purchasing them at your local nursery or garden center. The same goes for seed starting supplies. Summer bulbs such as Elephant Ears, Caladium, and Dahlias will be fully stocked now, so while you cannot plant them in the ground yet, you can get a hold of the best selection now. Bare root plants are also most plentifully stocked at this time. You'll have the best options to pick from this month. This includes roses, berry bushes, fruit trees, and other favorites. Spring Garden Maintenance If you live in Zone 4 or 5, winter still has its grasp on you, but that doesn't mean that you cannot start prepping your garden. Once the ground is exposed and free of snow, you can begin some of these prep and maintenance tasks. Mulching and Amending the Garden If your backyard is free from snow during March, add mulching and amending to your March Garden Checklist Zones 4-5. Wake up your garden beds and stomp out weeds in early spring by adding necessary soil amendments and adding a couple of inches of mulch to your garden beds. These actions will bolster your soil and prevent propagating spring weeds from overtaking your garden before your gardens are in full swing. Pruning Trees and Shrubs Again, if snow is no longer on the ground, you can start some late winter pruning too. Evergreen trees and shrubs can succumb to the weight of heavy snow. Prune away winter damage before the new shoots of spring emerge. Remove any damaged branches from your plants, or you can tie the stems with twine to get them back in shape. It's time to do a hard pruning of dormant woody perennials and dormant ornamental grasses. You can be aggressive about your pruning with these dormant plants and only leave the first bud at the plant's base. This applies only to plants that produce blooms on new stems. Many perennial shrubs have already formed buds for next season's blooms. It is not the time to prune these shrubs unless you are only growing them for greenery or hedge; otherwise, you risk cutting away their blooming potential. If your plantings are purely for greenery and privacy, you may trim the bushes' tips to shape them. Boxwoods are an example of these green shrubs. Some of the flowering shrubs to leave intact at this time include: Forsythia Rhodendrum Azalea Viburnum Daphne Weigela Pruning considerations can get confusing at times. If you have any doubt on whether or not to prune back a perennial dramatically, simply let it be and prune it after it flowers. Do some more research on your plant variety and gain more insight for the next time around. Look for Signs of Spring Take some time to assess what things look like outdoors. Take a walk around the yard and inhale the last few weeks of winter as you dream of the planting season. If it has been a milder winter and some rain has washed away the snow from the soil, you may see some hopeful perennials popping up, or there may even be bulbs peeking through the snow! Snowdrops, daffodils, and rhubarb leaves may be emerging in some areas. Don't forget about the wildlife throughout the month of March. Fill up some bird feeders or hang some suet and watch the array of birds that flock to the feast. Attracting these colorful friends to the feeders will provide entertainment and joy as you await the milder days to come. Inviting birds to your backyard significantly help control the insect population which can protect your plants. Avoid walking on your garden when the soil is saturated. Compressing the soil with weight will result in soil compaction, leading to a plethora of problems in the garden bed. Indoor Garden Planting Indoor garden planting can be a real pick-me-up for gardeners when the weather is unpredictable, and winter still has its hold. Planting indoors can be done in some unexpected ways. Here are some things to try: Growing Plants Under Grow Lights: While you won't be able to plant outside quite yet, it is possible to bring your growing indoors by growing vegetables under grow lights and implementing warming mats. Some easy growers to get started with are lettuces, mixed greens, spinach, and herbs. When you gain some confidence, try out more high-yielding plants. Planting fewer plants with higher yields allows you to reap a plentiful harvest without taking up too much space indoors. Starting Seeds Indoors: Before we discuss starting seeds indoors on our March Garden Checklist Zones 4-5, it is crucial to identify your growth zone's last frost date. This date varies with each zone and is just an estimation. The last frost date is essential because this is how you will calculate what you can start planting indoors by counting the seed maturation days backward from the last estimated frost date so transplants will be ready for outdoor planting. Zone 4 – The last frost date ranges from April 24 - May 12 Zone 5 – The last frost date ranges from April 8 - May 1 Force Bulbs Indoors: You can force any bulb indoors. If you simply cannot wait until spring to see blooms, these flowers will make quite a show either planted in a pot of soil or a low dish of water and gravel or marbles. Amaryllis Narcissus Daffodils Tulips Hyacinths Force Branches Indoors: Consider pruning a few branches from some flowering shrubs and trees. Make a clean cut and arrange the branches in a vase of clean water to force an early bloom. The following make great branch sources: Forsythia Dogwood Ornamental Cherry Trees Ornamental Pear Trees Magnolia Pussy Willow Flowering Fruit Trees Outdoor Planting in Zone 4 and Zone 5 The ground is still frozen and temperatures are not conducive to outdoor planting in Zone 4 and Zone 5. So, there’s not much on the March Garden Checklist Zones 4-5 for outdoor planting. If you are lucky enough to have access to a greenhouse or some cold frames, you may be able to try direct sowing certain cool-season crop seeds outdoors before the temperatures begin to rise in your grow zone. Use some trial and error to see what successes you have. Share The Garden Love

Increase your stock of rex begonias by taking leaf cuttings.

Here are the 18 vegetables that Zone 9 gardeners can plant in March. Includes recommended varieties, planting tips, and recipes.

What to plant in March for your Spring Garden - vegetables, fruits and herbs you can plant in early Spring in your garden.

I don't know if its because of St. Patty's day, the fact that I can see the first sprigs of grass appearing amidst the melting snow, or simply because its my favorite color, but March has me seeing green... And by green, I mean money. I know that sounds terrible. After all, I'm a firm defender of the whole "money cant buy you happiness" principle. But bear with me here as I continue my stream-of-consciousness-style typing. Up until three weeks ago I was an anxiety ridden mess who, through a series of unfortunate circumstances, had the good and also very bad fortune of finding herself among the unemployed. Why good? Because It gave me time to focus on projects like finding a new job. Why bad? Because I had to find a new job. It was difficult, but as of three weeks ago, I managed to secure a really good job; one where I actually don't mind getting up early in the morning (Go Me!). After what I experienced in my previous job, I didn't believe such a thing was even possible. Though I dare say I have become a bit too dependent on coffee....but I digress. With no job in sight and absent of a steady paycheck coming my way, my anxiety was at an all time high. What if I ran out of money? What if I missed the deadline for one of my loan payments? What if it took me months before I found another job? And what if, god forbid, it was like the previous one? Fortunately, none of those scenarios happened. This whole experience has given me a new appreciation for my parents, who have had to deal with the ups and downs of the job market for longer than I've been alive. That being said, I suppose the whole "worrying about money" concept is a serious milestone in the beginning stages of adulthood. And when I say worrying about money, I am not talking about "saving-for-that-concert" or "buying-that-dress" type of money saving. I am talking about financially mapping out your future. Some people start early when it comes to prepping their finances; others much too late. As for me? I don't honestly don't know where I am on that scale, but I'm hoping I'm on the early side of things. I know how to balance a checkbook, I have a basic concept of what an IRA is, and I know when to save and when to hoard away my money like Smaug in The Hobbit. But do I know how to file taxes? No (my parents helped me). Do I know when or how to apply for a credit card? No. Do I know when I'll ever finish paying off my student loans....definitely not, but I shall consult the magic 8-ball on the matter because, lets face it, that's the only foresight I currently have (cue the violent shaking). As I type, I know this whole thing is sounding like one of those lectures your parents gave you as you drove back to college to begin a new semester. I honestly don't mean for it to sound like that. I suppose I'm just nostalgic for the time when I didn't have to worry about establishing a line of credit in order to apply for future loans, paying back current student loans, or if I'll ever be able to afford a house. I fondly remember a time when those concerns couldn't even penetrate my much younger skull....those were the days my friends....those were the days... I have had many safety nets to rescue me from the many pitfalls of life. However, this realization is accompanied by another; the realization that, in planning for the future...my finances will slowly play a greater role. Money certainly cannot buy happiness, that is an absolute fact, but if you plan accordingly, you need not worry about something as trivial as money getting in the way of your real goals. Cash is cold and hard, but life is too sometimes. Maybe I'm just typing away like a madwoman here...does anyone else feel the same way? Share the same thoughts? Anybody else reach this milestone in adulthood? Let me know down in the comments. As always, much love.. -Hayleigh

What to plant in your Fall vegetable garden in September if you are in the Northern Hemisphere and what to plant in your vegetable garden in March if

Ready to get planting in the garden? Check out these top picks for what to plant in March, including flowers, fruit, vegetables and bulbs.

Here are the 18 vegetables that Zone 9 gardeners can plant in March. Includes recommended varieties, planting tips, and recipes.

Growing gardens with kids can be a lot of fun. We’re currently babying some seeds of our own as the kids are excited to grow their own salad garden this summer with the seed pods we started earlier this spring. While we wait for the seeds to sprout and be ready to plant in the

This March planting guide for Zone 7 will help you know what seeds you can plant outside and which you can directly sow in the garden.

This March planting guide for Zone 7 will help you know what seeds you can plant outside and which you can directly sow in the garden.

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Sweet potatoes are grown from plants, not seeds or bulbs. You can purchase sweet potato plants at a garden center or online. You can als...

This March Planting Guide for Zones 5-6 will help you know what seeds can be planted directly in the garden and indoors in March!

Eager to get your hands back in the soil? This guide highlights what to plant in March, including veggies, flowers, shrubs, and trees.

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With spring on the way, you’re probably wondering “What vegetables can be started in cold frames?” Here's 12 you can start even if frost is still in the air.

Not sure what to tackle in the garden this month? These quick & easy gardening jobs for March will help you keep the garden looking good.

Well we are inside and we may as well use this time to stay inspired, and prepared because self development never gets old, and cooped up inside can teach us a lot about ourself. So we have to slow…

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I’m really growing to love these little documentary tours of the greenhouse. I hope you’re enjoying them too! They’re a great chance for me to really tune into the growth of each of the crops. When things get hectic in spring, like they always do in March, it can be hard to focus on the …

A list of vegetables that will tolerate or grow nicely in clay soil conditions.

Get this list of garden tasks for your zone 5 garden - early spring Zone 5 Gardening chores + vegetables to plant in March.