by Mark Levisay
March is time to start seeds indoors. Brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) should be started right away if you haven’t already. They need to be up and hardened off by the second week of April. Pepper plants should be started soon, especially if you have seeds from a year ago or longer. I’ve found that the older seeds germinate well, but may take 1-2 weeks longer than fresh seed. These seedlings should be hardened off by mid-May, and many peppers will take eight weeks or more from seeding to planting. It’s still a little early for tomatoes, unless you have older seed. I’ve found that tomatoes germinate faster than peppers and can be ready to harden off in six weeks. I’ll plant the seeds at the beginning of April with the goal of planting seedlings in the garden around mid-May, which should be after our last frost (here in central VA).
Seed starting pots
If you are re-using starter pots from year to year it’s important to clean them thoroughly to prevent disease. Use a solution of 1 part household bleach to 10 parts water to disinfect any pots that have been used before. The 6-pack in the first photo is the smallest that I use—you can fit 72 plants in a standard flat! The downside is that you may have to separate and re-pot seedlings sooner than when using larger 6-packs or 4 packs.
Small 6 pack with peppers, some of which have already grown too large.
When you do have to repot, just pop the large seedlings out and re-pot in larger pots. This method also gives you a chance to change the potting medium, as your initial seed starting mix should not contain any fertilizer. After re-potting you can use a standard type potting mix—many of which do contain slow release fertilizer.
Peppers plants transplanted into larger pots.
Keep all of your seedlings under the brightest light possible. Artificial lighting is a must unless you have a very sunny south facing window. You can get some pointers on building an LED light table from last year’s blog.
Chores in the vegetable garden
Outdoors there is a lot going on despite the cold temperatures we get overnight. If you have plants growing in a cold frame it’s important to open the cold frame during the daytime to avoid overheating. The higher springtime sun angle can quickly raise the temperature inside if the cover stays closed. Watch the weather, because if below freezing temperatures are predicted at night you need to close the cover overnight.
In the vegetable garden itself I’ve just finished a big weeding project. It’s important to do this early in the spring-before any of the over wintering weeds bloom and create seeds. It’s also a good time to work on infrastructure projects. Building raised beds, putting up poles for tomatoes, peppers and beans, or fences to support plants like peas and cucumbers can go up any time. Most of these are best done before actually planting the seeds or seedlings. My son just dug a trench in his garden in anticipation of the arrival of asparagus crowns, which should arrive shortly. Any problems you had with drainage in your garden last year can be corrected now, before planting starts.
Speaking of planting, it’s time for peas and spinach to be planted from seed. Peas will need full sun, but spinach can tolerate a little shade and probably prefers that when the weather gets hot. Vegetables like lettuce and beets should probably wait until the beginning of April, unless you have a cold frame or are going to use a row cover. Brassicas can go out at the end of March if you are using a row cover, which I highly recommend for insect protection. If you don’t plan to cover them, I’d probably wait until early April to put those seedlings out.
Spring lawn care
The lawn should still be dormant for a lot of March, but there are several things you can be doing at this time of year. I add lime to my yard every spring, which can go down any time. I typically apply between 5 and 8 pounds of lime per thousand square feet of lawn area. Here in central VA, we tend to have acidic soils and grass prefers a neutral pH. Spreading lime will help neutralize acidic soil and make a big difference in the health of your lawn.
Areas with heavy thatch can often be cleaned out with a leaf rake. If you have an extensive area you may want to want to hire a lawn service to bring in a machine to do it for you. I generally wait until fall to apply fertilizer, though if you have an area that has grown poorly in the past or has been damaged you can apply fertilizer in the spring. I’d wait until late March or early April for that.
If you had a lot of crabgrass last year you can apply a preventive product this spring. These products are pre-emergent herbicides which prevent crabgrass seed from germinating. Apply when you see the forsythia bushes blooming, which is probably in early to mid-April. Make sure not to get the crabgrass preventer in any garden spots where you plan to plant seeds! You probably won’t need to mow for a while but remember to always mow on the highest setting your mower allows, and don’t let grass clipping sit in big piles on the existing grass.
I’m looking forward to spring and the 2022 gardening season! Good luck with yours, and if you have any questions please e-mail me at marklevisay@gmail.com