Southern California Gardening – March

“Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.”
– H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

I am not a master gardener… but someday I will be.  Last year I planted a small vegetable garden in our yard, and one of my goals for 2015 is to learn more about gardening in my region (Southern California).  So these monthly blog posts on gardening are kind of like my homework…  Have fun reading my homework!  And please share tips, comments, corrections and any other thoughts in the comments section below.  My garden, like this blog, is definitely a work in progress, and I always appreciate learning from you!  Cheers!

Things to plant in March
Broccoli, cabbage, lettuce, kohlrabi, spinach, turnips, chard, potatoes, beets, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, green beans, corn, cucumber, squash, basil, dill, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, thyme.  This is also a good time of year to plant citrus and avocado trees.

March To-Do List
Feed avocado and citrus trees.
Harvest seed from your cool season vegetables and store them.
Pull weeds while the ground is soft.

Beneficial Insect Habitat
Attract beneficial insects to your garden!  Attracting beneficial insects to your garden will help keep the pesky ones away.  Try planting some of these beneficial species:  butterfly weed, clover, coriander, cosmos, dandelion, dill, English lavender, fennel, parsley, phacelia, spearmint, yarrow and zinnia.

Tips
Don’t walk on garden soil when it is wet (this will compact your soil).
Don’t dig is soil when it is wet enough to make dirt balls in your fist.
Have fun!