What to do in the garden in March

Spring arrives in March, and that’s when the gardening season really takes off!

You might not be at a loss for what to do. But if you are, our friends at Oregon State University Extension Service have their March garden calendar, which is full of ideas.

Here are some:

* Plan your vegetable garden.

* Check soil temperature to know when you can plant veggies. Some cool-season crops can be planted now, provided the soil is consistently above 40 degrees Fahrenheit.

* It’s time to start mowing the lawn!

* Compost clippings and yard waste (but do not compost lawn clippings if weed-and-feed

* Spread compost over garden and landscape areas.

* Fertilize evergreen shrubs and trees, if needed.

* Fertilize rhodies, camellias, and azaleas with acid-type fertilizer.

* Protect new plant growth from slugs. The least toxic management techniques include barriers and traps. With baits, one has to be cautious around pets.

Another thing you can do in March is plant early-season crops, meaning herbs and vegetables. However, not all will do well this time of year. It’s necessary to know what can survive being planted this early in the season. Portland Nursery’s helpful Veggie Calendar (PDF) has you covered! The guide even has info on how far apart to space everything.

The things you can seed outdoors in March include arugula, Asian greens, asparagus, chard, cilantro, choi, fava beans, garlic (cloves), kale, mustard greens, peas, potatoes (tubers), scallions, and spinach.

Meanwhile, it’s too early to plant a number of things outside, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celeriac, celery, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, peppers, scallions, tomatoes, or tomatillos. However, you can seed any of these indoors right now, and transplant them outside later.

If you’re going for starts rather than seeds, then artichokes, arugula, Asian greens, broccoli, early cabbage, chard, choi, cilantro, green onions, kale, lettuce, mustard greens, onions, peas, salad greens, and spinach are all viable options. Many of our local garden centers offer a good selection of veggie starts.