Welcome to the Hill City Master Gardeners

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.

More . . .

Save the date: FOG 2024
Saturday, May 4, 2024

For Love of Nature: Consider becoming a Master Gardener this spring

This article is from January 12, 2022, but the message is the same.  We start a new class every February.  Want to learn more?  Information is available on the Become a Master Gardener page.

We graduate a new class of
Master Gardeners every year.

The 2024 Class has begun.
Applications for the 2025 Class
will be available in the Fall.
MORE INFO HERE

The 2023 Festival of Gardening, our annual plant sale and celebration of all things gardening, was a smashing success.  Thousands of plants went to new homes.
We can’t wait to do it again.
FOG 2024 is on May 4 on the grounds of E.C.Glass High School.

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.

Look for our latest HCMGA postcards. 

Available at HCMGA events and project sites, and at the Community Market Information Booth.

Winter is full upon us but spring is just around the corner.  Check out our monthly tips to assure your garden is ready for the season.

Our next Master Gardener Training Class has been selected.  Classes will continue to early April when the new crop of interns will emerge to take part in all of our Master Gardener projects. Do you want to learn more about gardening and join the fun?   Applications for our 2025 class will be available in the Fall.

Check out the 2024 schedule of classes by downloading a pdf copy here:

  2024 HCMGA Training Class Schedule

Application and more information are available on our Become a Master Gardener page.

Winter

 

 

The success of the garden begins in the winter.  Dormant seeds need the cold moist temperatures of winter to prepare them for germination.

 

Seeds sown in winter often yield early and strong.

 

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.