Hill City Master
Gardeners
Association
Gardening Tips for March
Weed Control- Apply pre-emergence crab grass control and water it in when our forsythia bloom (probably in March or early April) and again mid to late May. A less tenuous timing would be based on germination happening when soil temperatures remain at 55+ degrees for a week. Since most of these herbicides have a soil activity for 6-8 weeks, it’s better to apply early rather than late.
Rose Garden – Spring pruning should be done for hybrid teas, floribunda and miniatures just before first growth or just as leaves emerge. Remove any leaf litter left from last year. Begin spraying roses with a fungicide for black spot and continue through the growing season at 7 to 14 day intervals.
Focus on Natives
With Punxatawny Phil predicting six more weeks of winter, you might be wondering what gardening tasks you can accomplish now. If you’ve decided you’d like to incorporate more native plants in your garden, there’s still time to start some from seed.
Many natives require a period of cold stratification, just as they would if they’d dropped their seeds in the wild at the end of summer. In their natural habitat, the seeds would sit there in the soil– some to be eaten by birds and other animals, some washed away in the rain — until warmer temperatures and longer days signal a favorable time for germination. A period of dormancy ensures that the seed won’t germinate too early — say in a warm spell — only to be killed when winter temperatures resume. Compounds in the seed that inhibit germination are broken down by enzymes that are activated as temperatures drop. In addition, hormonal changes increase the activity of enzymes that begin to metabolize the stored starches in the seed to provide it with energy. Moisture is needed for these processes and the seed coat softens to allow in more moisture and oxygen. Once environmental conditions are favorable, the seed can germinate.
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It’s possible to replicate this process by keeping seeds in moist peat moss, vermiculite, or similar material in a sealed plastic bag in the refrigerator. Using a moist medium ensures the seeds won’t dry out. Seeds can be stored this way for 10 to 12 weeks, and then planted in the spring. They may even start to germinate so they need to be handled carefully.
An even easier method of starting seeds that require cold stratification is winter sowing. With this method, seeds can be planted in a container, placed outdoors where they are exposed to the cold temperatures provided by nature, and allowed to germinate naturally when the time is right. One method often used is the “milk jug method.” Plastic milk containers are cut part way through the middle, leaving a small hinge attachment. Drill a few holes in the bottom for drainage. The containers are filled with a few inches of sterile, moistened potting medium and the seeds are sown on the surface. Make sure the surface is moist, and then seal up the containers with duct tape. The milk jug acts like a min-greenhouse to retain moisture. Place the containers outside and check on them periodically to make sure they are still moist. Once the seeds germinate, allow the plants to grow until they fill the space in the jug and then remove the top. If a really warm spell happens during the winter, open the top so it doesn’t get too hot inside.
The photos here demonstrate the winter sowing method. Photos courtesy of Master Gardener Sheri Hollingsworth.
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Ready to get a head start on your garden? The Hill City Master Gardeners are here with step-by-step instructions to make winter sowing easy, so you can plant an
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FESTIVAL OF GARDENING
The 2025 Festival of Gardening, our annual plant sale and celebration of all things gardening, will be here before we know it. We’ll be setting up again on the lawn of E.C. Glass High School with thousands of plants for sale, from heirloom tomato varieties to sought-after perennials to fragrant herbs. There will also be vegetables, annuals, native plants, trees and shrubs, vines and groundcovers as well as container gardens and garden décor items. All plants are grown from seed, divisions, or cuttings by our Master Gardeners. This sale is our annual fund-raising event that supports our training programs, and various community projects. Keep watching this site for a map of the sale layout so you can plan your plant-shopping adventure!
SAVE THE DATE!
FOG 2025
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Virginia Master Gardeners are volunteer educators who work within their communities to encourage and promote environmentally sound horticulture practices through sustainable landscape management education and training. As an educational program of Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Master Gardeners bring the resources of Virginia’s land-grant universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia State University, to the people of the commonwealth. All information we disseminate must be research-based by VT/VSU.
Find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/hillcitymastergardeners/
Look for our latest HCMGA postcards.
Available at HCMGA events and project sites, and at the Community Market Information Booth.
Winter’s chill has arrived. As Fall wanes there is still a lot to do in the garden: annual maintenance and preparation for winter crops or spring plantings. Want to learn more? Registration for the 2025 Master Gardener Training Class is closed but you can contact us about the 2026 class here. Applications for the 2026 Training Class will be available in the Fall.
More information is available on our Become a Master Gardener page.
In the Garden This Month
MARCH
Gardening Tips for March
Weed Control - Apply pre-emergence crab grass control and water it in when our forsythia bloom (probably in March or early April) and again mid to late May. A less tenuous timing would be based on germination happening when soil temperatures remain at 55+ degrees for a week. Since most of these herbicides have a soil activity for 6-8 weeks, it's better to apply early rather than late.
Rose Garden - Spring pruning should be done for hybrid teas, floribunda and miniatures just before first growth or just as leaves emerge. Remove any leaf litter left from last year. Begin spraying roses with a fungicide for black spot and continue through the growing season at 7 to 14 day intervals.
Propagation - Most perennials may be trimmed and divided late winter or early spring. New growth will help determine where to divide. Iris and Peony should be divided in the fall. Garden Phlox, Hosta, Coreopsis, Daylilies and Coneflowers are some that may be divided at this time. Wait until Chrysanthemums have 3" of new growth before dividing. Seeds of many annuals and perennials may be started now. Check the seed packet for timing.
Vegetable Garden - It's the month to plant cool season vegetables, i.e. Peas, potatoes, lettuce, spinach, radishes, onions etc. Seeds for many vegetables may be started indoors for transplanting later.
Lime/Fertilize - Lime Peonies, Bearded Iris, Lilacs, Hellebores, Daylilies and Hybrid Lilies in March if you didn't apply it in the winter and fertilize your perennial plants with 5-10-5 or 5-10-10. This can be repeated every six weeks. Avoid the center or crown of the plant. Water in to wash fertilizer off foliage. Azaleas may be fertilized from April until July 4 with an acid-forming fertilizer. Bulbs may be fertilized again after they bloom.
A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. – Doug Larson.
