By PAMELA BROWN and NANCY R. VOLMAR
Published February 28, 2004
[Times photo (1997) — Scott Keeler]
March is the time to do heavy pruning on hibiscus. New growth should produce flowers in five to six weeks.
March is an excellent month to plant shrubs, trees, vines and perennials, both hardy and tropical.
When planting from a container or transplanting from another location, make sure you do not place the plant any deeper in soil than it was originally growing.
There are a few exceptions. Some palms can be planted deeper, but generally it is best to plant at the same level or a bit higher to allow for settling. Wait about six weeks, then apply fertilizer formulated for your plant.
Water daily the first week, every other day the second week, and every third day for the next two weeks; after that, water once a week until the plant is established.
Haircuts for hibiscus
Now is the time to give hibiscus a heavy pruning. New growth should produce flowers in five to six weeks. Light maintenance pruning can be done at any time to keep plants at desired heights. Cuttings made during pruning can be used to propagate new plants, but softwood or new growth cuttings root more easily. Place them in a well-drained medium, such as equal parts of peat and coarse builders sand.
These cuttings should be 4 to 6 inches long; they usually will root in about six weeks. New plants should begin to flower in about nine months.
Tuber time
Select your caladium tubers as soon as they are available at garden centers. Plant them in shaded or partly sunny areas; space them 12 to 18 inches apart in a prepared bed of organic material. Cover the tops with about 2 inches of soil and press firmly in place to keep air from forming between the tuber and the soil.
Caladiums grow best in a moist, well-drained soil. Fertilize around each plant with one tablespoon of a fertilizer such as 5-10-10, 7-10-12, or 6-6-6. Fertilize monthly during the growing season. Caladiums can also be grown in containers for indoor use. Some cultivars that tolerate indoor conditions are Lord Derby, Fire Chief, Red Flash, Whorton, Porcile Anglais, Sea Gull, Beauty and Aaron.
Snacks for the vegetation
Things to fertilize this month are annuals, bahiagrass (if not fed in February), bananas, bromeliads, bulbs, cactus, crape myrtles, figs, hibiscus, hollies, ligustrum, papayas and vegetables.
Some people prefer to fertilize their lawns in March, when they can use a weed-and-feed. Use care when applying a herbicide, even one mixed with fertilizer. Be sure the name of your grass is listed on the herbicide's label, and keep the chemical away from shrubs, trees and beds of perennials and annuals.
Headstart for citrus
Most citrus trees to be used in home landscapes are first grown in containers, which means they can be planted any time of the year; winter or early spring are best times to plant.
All grasses and weeds should be removed from an area about 4 feet in diameter; thoroughly spade the planting area to a depth of 2 to 3 feet.
Remove the tree from the container; if the roots are tightly woven, make several vertical cuts in the rootball to stimulate new roots. Set the tree in the ground about a half inch to 1 inch higher than it was in the container. Refill the hole about one-third full of soil; water to remove air pockets; allow the water to settle, then fill the hole two-thirds full of soil and re-water; fill with remaining soil.
Water is crucial to a young tree. Too much can damage the roots, causing rot, too little will cause wilting. Citrus trees (especially young ones) should have about 1 inch of water every seven to 10 days. Build a water basin at least 3 inches high and 30 inches in diameter around the tree at the edge of the rootball. Water three times a week for two weeks, then once every seven to 10 days during periods of little or no rain.
Do not fertilize a newly planted tree until new growth appears, then apply about three-quarters of a pound of a mixed fertilizer such as 4-8-8 or 6-6-6 with trace elements.
Remove suckers below the bud or graft union of citrus. These shoots will grow at the expense of the upper portion of the tree. Suckers are vigorous and have thorns; they produce undesirable fruits such as sour orange or rough lemon.
Hands off the sea oats
Sea oats are one of the most important and widespread grasses on southern coastal dunes. It is legal to plant sea oats in a landscape, but it is illegal to remove plants or seeds from public lands. You can purchase plants to use in your yard or along the beach.
Start summer from seed
Summer annuals can be started from seed directly in the garden or in seed flats. Marigolds, celosia and zinnia are easy to start from seed. Cover the seeds with a very fine layer of milled peat moss or sifted soil. Keep the area moist until true leaves appear by misting the soil several times a day.
The well-wrought azalea
Established azalea plants should be pruned after blooming. Several light prunings early in the spring and up to July will encourage branches to create a compact shrub.
Plug in some bulbs
Many different bulbs can be grown successfully here, among them amaryllis, canna, crinum, daylily and spider lily. Some are true bulbs, other are rhizomes, tubers or corms. You may wish to try some different ones this year. Amazon lily (Eucharis grandiflora) can be planted from now through May and will bloom in the winter. They need partial shade and should be planted with the tip of the bulb on the surface of the soil.
Amazon lilies will grow in the ground but they do best if grown in pots.
Daring gardeners may choose the voodoo lily (Amorphophallus spp.). The corm is planted 4 inches deep. Flowers appear in the spring and are showy, but have they have an unpleasant odor. The leaves are large and spectacular.
Insects bustin' out all over?
* Do you or your neighbor have a goldenrain tree?
If so, you will probably be seeing some unusual looking bugs known as jedera. The insects do not bite, sting or carry diseases, but they are an annoyance when large numbers occur near the house.
The young feed on goldenrain seeds and are called "seed bugs"; the adults fly in search of a mate, then deposit their eggs on the goldenrain tree. Chemical control is not recommended.
* If you you have been away from your home for a few weeks or have a spare bathroom that is seldom used, you may have encountered filterflies. Filter flies belong to the family of flies called moth flies.
They tend to breed in bathroom or kitchen drains. The eggs are laid where moist, decaying organic matter occurs (water traps in plumbing fixtures, dirty garbage containers and around sinks). Larvae and pupae live in the decomposing film.
The life cycle from egg to adult is usually one to three weeks. Aerosol spray treatments with pyrethrins can break the life cycle. Adults are dark gray to black and are about 5mm long. They move slowly, so they are easy to kill by hand.
Pouring bleach water down the drains in the evening before you go to bed may help eliminate mold or slime that has formed in the traps, eradicating their breeding sites.
* Warm weather brings out many pests, especially aphids. New leaf growth is aphids' favorite food. Check plants closely and spray as needed with paraffin-based horticultural oil. If you use an insecticide, be sure it is labeled for use on your plant.
* Heavy infestations of whitefly may suddenly appear on citrus leaves. Check the underside of leaves for the pupae, which look like clear scale insects. Spray with malathion or horticultural oil, being sure to get under the leaves. DO NOT spray if trees are in bloom.
* Watch for tiny torpedo-shaped insects in the blooms of gardenias, camellias and other flowers. Thrips cause spots and streaks on the flowers and leaves and cause both to drop. Pesticides labeled for thrips on ornamentals are malathion and Orthene. Check label about whether to spray on on blooms, because some pesticides will cause flowers to fade.
* Scale insects on camellias can be troublesome this time of year. Tea scale is found on the upper and lower leaf surfaces. These pests secrete a waxy covering over their bodies, under which they live and feed. Malathion, Orthene, plus horticultural oil emulsion can be used in scale control. Read the manufacturer's label carefully; follow all instructions and observe precautions.
Powdering the rose
Roses, gerbera daisies, crape myrtles and other plants may become infested with powdery mildew as soon as new leaves appear. The fungal disease disfigures leaves and damages flowers. Spray the plants with an approved fungicide. Apply according to label directions.
Preserving your turf
Bare spots in St. Augustine grass can be filled by planting plugs 6 to 12 inches apart. They should be tamped or rolled to minimize a tufted appearance. Water carefully to keep the plugs from drying out until they become established.
- Compiled by Pamela Brown and Nancy R. Volmar of the Pinellas County Extension/Florida Botanical Gardens. If you have questions, call them at (727) 582-2100.
