Timi DeBusk
Master Gardener, Master Naturalist
March 2007
Woo Hoo!! Spring is in sight! I don’t know about you, but I am chomping at the bit to get gardening. I am not a longtime resident of this area, but in the 4 years that I have been gardening in the Hill Country, 50% of the time I have jumped the gun in trying to beat the last frost date. Why is it that so many gardeners find such pleasure in trying to outwit Mother Nature? As if 2 or 3 weeks will make a huge difference in our overall harvest. I am the worst at trying to get the jump start.
According to my friend, Bill Luedecke, the last frost date for our area is March 21st – 30th. Using Easter as your benchmark date, you should be safe. I am going to try to resist setting out my tomato and pepper plants until then, but there are some things that can go in before the last frost. Lettuce, radishes, cilantro to name a few. Asparagus and artichokes should be planted this month. If you have never seen an artichoke actually growing, come by the nursery and see ours growing in the front flower bed close to our marquee sign. They make interesting plants in your flower beds and they have remained ‘evergreen’ all winter. This is my second spring with the plants that I have in that bed and one is bearing fruit.
March is the prime herb planting time. Here is a list of some of the herbs that should be planted this month: Bay, caraway, catnip, chives, cumin, curry, fennel, horseradish, lamb’s ear, lavender, lemon verbena, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, salad burnet, summer savory, tarragon, thyme. Later in the month, plant basil (one of my favorites), scented geraniums & lemon grass.
The Llano Lawn & Garden Show will be held March 10th from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. at the American Legion Hall in Llano. The show is sponsored by the Tx. Coop. Ext. and Llano Co. Master Gardener Assoc. There will be 4 speakers. Linda O’Nan: Container Gardening, Jimma Byrd: Herb of the Year 2007- Lemon Balm and other Lemon Herbs, Bill Luedecke: Vegetable Gardening, Melinda Kneese: Composting. There will be herbs for sale, door prizes, local vendors (including yours truly). Mark your calendars!!
March is the perfect month to spread about 1-2 inches of compost on your lawns. My favorite lawn compost is dillo dirt. There are some who poo-poo (please excuse the pun) the use of dillo, but those who have used it will swear by it. If you want the lushest, most healthy lawn, try it. You may try an experiment and do one section with dillo and one without and then compare – it will be obvious. As the saying goes – try it, you’ll like it.
We just received our new seeds for 2007. It is important to plant fresh, viable seeds, not older, less likely to germinate ones. We carry Lone Star Seeds. We consider them to be the freshest, most adaptable to our Texas gardens.
As I write this, I know that the outside of the nursery is looking barren, but come into the greenhouse and get a preview of what will be happening as soon as this cold weather is gone. When I get the ‘winter doldrums’ I go into the greenhouse and I get a whole new lease on life.
Happy gardening - Timi
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