Regional Reminders
March 20, 2003
New England
By
Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC
Force Branches
Cut forsythia, pussy willow, and apple branches for forcing indoors. Look for branches with lots of nice fat buds and place them in a vase filled with water. The buds should open in a week or two. To keep pussy willow branches for dried arrangements, remove the branches from the water once the buds open.
Start Seeds
In southern New England it's time to start seeds of cool-season crops like broccoli and cabbage indoors; wait until the end of March in northern regions. Wait to sow fast-growing tomatoes until six weeks before your average last frost date. If you're not sure when that is, start them in mid-April.
Wait to Prune
Wait to prune spring-blooming shrubs like lilac, forsythia, azalea, and rhododendron until after they bloom. Otherwise, you'll cut off the flower buds. Prune these just after blooming, because they'll form next year's flower buds during this growing season.
Inspect Trees and Shrubs for Winter Damage
Inspect trees and shrubs for broken limbs, and prune damaged branches back to unaffected wood. In general, it's a good idea to cut branches back to a branch or bud that's facing outward. Hire a professional to handle big jobs -- they will have the proper safety equipment.
Prune Back Ornamental Grasses
If you left your ornamental grasses intact last fall, you can go ahead and prune them back to a height of about 6 inches now. Remove prunings to the compost pile.
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