Breaking ground

Figs that need pruning should not be trimmed until the bulk of winter has passed.
Figs that need pruning should not be trimmed until the bulk of winter has passed.

MARCH

Spring is definitely in the air -- and visible in our gardens. We are a good two weeks or more ahead of schedule.

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Special to the Democrat-Gazette

This is not a rose disease. It’s a winged elm tree that has taken root beside a rosebush.

While we are still having some nippy mornings, we have had pretty warm days. From daffodils and tulips to forsythia and camellias, we have plenty of blooms in the garden.

• We can hope we won't get any more hard freezes, but that is always a possibility in March, so pay attention to the forecast and be prepared to protect what you can.

• A lot of gardeners are worried about whether they should prune roses, butterfly bush and other summer bloomers, since they are not dormant but freely putting on leaves. Regardless of whether your plants are growing or not, prune roses, butterfly bush, summer blooming spirea (but no spring-blooming spirea) now. These plants need pruning every year and if you don't prune, you will not get as many flowers and the plants will grow too large and woody.

• Fruit trees and blueberry bushes need annual pruning as well to maintain size and vigor. Prune them now.

• Other summer bloomers like crape myrtles, althea, abelia, itea, clethra and vitex can be pruned now, too, but only if needed.

• Ornamental grasses should also have the old foliage pruned off. Pull back the old growth to see how tall the new growth is so you can cut above that level.

Pruning is not difficult, but you do need to know why, when and how you are pruning to help your plants perform at their peak.

• Cool season vegetable gardening is in full swing. If you planted a winter garden, some of those vegetables are beginning to bolt -- go to seed -- a bit early. It is time to plant all the cool-season vegetables again. Use onion sets or transplants, and use

transplants for broccoli, cabbage and bok choy. We can seed lettuce, radishes, greens, spinach and English peas.

• It is too early for tomatoes and peppers -- don't plant the warm season vegetables until April, even if they are available at a garden center.

• Fertilize your winter annuals, including pansies, violas and dianthus.

• Some of the ornamental kale and cabbage plants are beginning to stretch and bolt, too, with the warm weather. These plants are really biennials, which means they grow foliage the first season and then bloom, set seeds and die in warmer conditions. Normally they don't begin to move into flowering this early but we normally don't have 80 degree temperatures in February, either.

• If you need a little extra color in your late winter/early spring garden, you should be seeing plenty of options at garden centers and at the Arkansas Flower & Garden Show this weekend at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.

• English primroses, ranunculus and tuberous begonias are on the store shelves. They thrive on cool weather but don't like hard freezes, so be prepared to cover them if it gets cold.

• Pay attention to water needs on newly planted vegetables and annuals. If you are transplanting trees and shrubs, or planting new ones, they too will need regular watering. Water is not as critical when it is cooler, but we have had some dry, windy days and not as much moisture as we typically get in the winter.

• Spring bulbs are blooming nicely. If you have not fertilized your spring bulbs, broadcast a complete fertilizer around them. They need energy and nutrition immediately after bloom to help them set flowers for the next year. Keep the foliage happy and healthy for a minimum of six weeks after bloom to give them time to complete their life cycle. Then you can cut the foliage off.

• If you need to transplant bulbs due to low light or overcrowded conditions, do so immediately after bloom. Transplant the bulb with its foliage attached to a sunny location and let the leaves die back on their own. Uprooted bulbs often go through a bit of transplant shock and can die back a little early.

• Winter weeds are growing and blooming quite nicely in lawns across the state. We are getting pretty late in the season for herbicides to be very effective on winter weeds, but you still have time to put out a pre-emergent for summer weeds. Once winter weeds begin to bloom and set seeds, the damage is done. Try to mow to keep them from setting seeds but hold off on using any fertilizer until your lawn grass has totally greened up -- usually late April to early May. Putting out any fertilizer now is going to feed winter weeds, which don't need any encouragement.

FRUIT OF THE MONTH

Figs are gaining in popularity in home gardens across the state.

There are new varieties such as "Chicago" and "Alma" that are showing better winter-hardiness in the northern tier of the state than the tried-and-true varieties such as "Brown Turkey" and "Celeste" we have been growing in the southern half for years.

Figs bear fruit on the current season's growth, so if your tree needs to be pruned, doing so in late February to mid-March is ideal.

In cold winters we can see some die-back on the branches, so waiting until the bulk of winter is over to prune helps protect the part of the tree you intend to spare. If you expose it by pruning, it's more likely to suffer.

Figs usually ripen in mid- to late summer. They like a well-drained spot with ample moisture, but they are very disease-resistant trees and require no spray programs. The biggest challenge is keeping birds and squirrels away.

Janet B. Carson is a horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

HomeStyle on 02/25/2017

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