New England
March, 2006
Regional Report
Get Ready to Sow Cole Crops
By the end of March you can sow broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage seeds indoors under lights. These cool-loving crops will need about six weeks indoors before they are ready to be transplanted outdoors two weeks before your last frost date. Keep seedlings moist and in good light (grow lights are best), and fertilize when they get two sets of leaves so they will be strong and stocky by the time you set them in the garden.
Begin Unwrapping Roses
If you wrapped or otherwise protected your roses for the winter, begin unwrapping them in late March. Do this gradually, so the plant awakens slowly as the weather warms. Begin by removing whatever you used to protect the top of the rose, and gradually remove the protective mulch.
Caring for Cyclamen
Cyclamen are beautiful but somewhat finicky, so keep an eye on your plants as the blooming slows down. Spider mites love them and if spraying the foliage with water doesn't help, you may need to spray plants with insecticidal soap. Also, overwatering can cause root rot, which can kill the plant. Luckily, cyclamen can be cut back to the soil line and they will resprout new shoots in no time.
Siting a Rose
When selecting a site for a rose planting, choose a location in full sun, or one that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. If you have to choose between a site with morning sun vs. one with afternoon sun, choose morning. That way, the morning sun will dry any dew on the leaves, minimizing disease problems.
Make More Plants
If you haven't taken cuttings yet from annuals that overwintered indoors, it's a good time to do so, and then you'll have healthy-sized young plants for your containers this summer.
