March in the Garden

Spring is nearly here! Daffodils and grape hyacinth are starting to pop up. 

Hopefully the weather will start to get warmer, and we can spend more time in our gardens.

I am continuing this series of articles and hope that you find them helpful and inspiring. In March, there is quite a bit to do in the garden depending on what you want to grow. Our gardens still need to be cared for so that they will do well in the spring and summer. By caring for our gardens, we are also caring for ourselves – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The Jackson County Master Gardener Association has a great resource for gardeners to use. It is the Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month.  This great reference book for gardeners is mainly about growing vegetables, berries, and melons.

March is the time to:

• Plant cane fruits

o   Blackberries	o   Boysen
o   Cascade	o   Logan
o   Marion	o   Nectar
o   Olalla	o   Raspberries
o   Santiam	o   Youngberries

• Set out rhubarb roots
• Plants which you plant as seeds to transplant later

o   Artichokes	o   Broccoli
o   Brussels sprouts	o   Cauliflower
o   Cabbage	o   Chinese cabbage
o   Eggplant	o   Leeks
o   Oriental greens	o   Pak choi
o   Peppers	o   Tomatoes

• Plants which you can plant as seed outside

o   Arugula	o   Carrots
o   Chervil	o   Chives
o   Collards	o   Corn, salad
o   Cress, garden	o   Fava beans
o   Kale	o   Kohlrabi
o   Leeks	o   Lettuce
o   Mustard greens	o   Onions
o   Parsley	o   Peas
o   Radishes	o   Scallions
o   Spinach	o   Swiss chard
o   Turnips and turnip greens

• Plants to transplant this month

o   Asparagus roots	o   Broccoli
o   Cabbage	o   Cauliflower
o   Lettuce, head	o   Onion
o   Onion sets, plants	o   Strawberries

• Time to fertilize

Established asparagus

Established raspberries

Established strawberries

Established grape vines

• Prune
  • Grapes
    • “Growing Table Grapes” https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1639 This publication from the OSU Extension is great in showing exactly what to do to prune and take care of grapes.
    • “Table Grape Pruning” OSU Master Gardeners You Tube video with Sherry Sheng. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym1ZKZYKfS0
  • Raspberries, Currants, Gooseberries, Blueberries
    • https://jacksoncountymga.org/in-the-garden-video/ These videos are from the Clackamas 10-Minute University and show how to prune and care for cane fruit.
  • Control pests and diseases on cane berries
    • If you have had a problem with leaf and cane spot fungi, use lime sulfur or fixed copper.
    • “Help cane berries bear more fruit” https://extension.oregonstate.edu/news/help-cane-berries-bear-more-fruit Article written by Bernadine Strik (retired OSU professor).
  • Other resources
    • “Strawberry Nutrient Management Guide for Oregon and Washington” OSU Publication by Emily Dixon, Bernadine Strik, Javier Fernandez-Salvador, and Lisa Devetter  https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9234 Other resources
    • Garden Guide for the Rogue Valley – Year-Round & Month by Month. This book contains a wealth of gardening information. You can purchase it at our local Grange Co-op or at the OSU Extension office for $21.00. It can also be purchased on-line at https://jacksoncountymga.org/shop/. Note that a shipping fee will be applied.

Happy Gardening and Stay Warm

Garden for Life