I am writing this in February — the month I used to think was the bleakest of all. But then, 30 years ago our son was born, and February took on a whole new look. It became brighter, shinier, and full of potential. I won’t bore you about my son, instead let’s look at what opportunities the garden has to distract and entertain us.

Its March: The days are substantially longer, the sun has warmth attached to it and anything seems possible. 

1. Now is the time to fertilize your houseplants. Generally, we don’t fertilize during the winter since the plants are not actively growing. Choose either an all-purpose or a ‘flowering plant’ water soluble fertilizer — depending on what you are growing. If any of your houseplants appear to be pot bound (look for roots growing out the bottom drainage holes of their pots), this is a great time to transplant them into larger containers. Just ensure your chosen pot has drainage holes, and you use sterile, good-quality potting soil or soilless mix.
   
2. If you are planning to start some flowers or vegetables from seed, and you haven’t purchased them yet, get out to your local garden centre or buy online from a reputable supplier like Stokes Seeds. Each seed package will provide a best date for planting based on your anticipated last spring frost. Since the projected last frost date in my area (Ontario’s Prince Edward County) is the first week of May, I plan to get my peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, zinnias and assorted perennials planted indoors by mid-March. I find that starting seeds indoors provides that important ‘getting my hands in the dirt’ feeling that I miss so much during the winter.
3. If you didn’t have time in the autumn, spend some time now inspecting, sharpening and oiling all your tools. Later in the season you will be so pleased at how much easier it is to work with sharp pruners, loppers, shovels, hoes and even trowels. Bonus: I don’t get as tired when my tools are sharp.
4. Growing our own food has become quite the trend, which means many gardeners have planted fruit trees in the last couple of years. Now is the time to prune them, as well as your crab apple trees. Pruning trees that produce edible fruit is done to maximize production. Pruning ornamental trees like crab apple is done for aesthetics and form. Get detailed help from the web or books on what to remove, and don’t be afraid to do this important task. Pruning should be done annually, and is not something that can be postponed. It is easier to see the form of the trees while the plants are dormant. Speaking of dormant, now is the time to apply dormant oil to the aforementioned trees. Remember the gypsy moth infestation last spring? Dormant spray, applied according to instructions on the package, will mitigate some of the damage many of us experienced last spring.
5. For a real breath of spring, plant some cold-tolerant pansies in a pot by your front door or back patio. Include flowering bulbs, pussy willow branches or whatever you have available. March can be a variable month in terms of weather. Expect to monitor temperatures and long-term forecasts in order to be ready for the true arrival of spring. At that point it will be time to: get out into the garden (assuming your soil is not soggy) and unwrap those evergreens we encased in burlap last fall; cut down perennial grasses; and enjoy all the flowering bulbs you planted in your garden in past years!

Charlie Dobbin hosts “The Garden Show With Charlie Dobbin” on Zoomer Radio AM740 [a ZoomerMedia property] every Saturday at 9 a.m., ET.

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