Low Desert Gardening, March 2001

Don’t forget, there are many vegetables you can grow in containers if you are short on space. They will require a bit more attention to watering and fertilizing but can be very rewarding.

For those vegetables you already have growing in your garden, fertilize with an organic fertilizer or a 20-10-10 slow release fertilizer. Remember, in our growing conditions, fertilizer is important so that the soil is not depleted of its nutrients.

Don’t forget herbs, especially culinary herbs. There are many kinds of basil, as well as rosemary, oregano, mints and many others. Some, like rosemary, prefer drier soil than some others. Herbs are also good candidates for pots. I like to mix fragrant herbs in my flower beds where their aroma can please.

If you have a winter lawn, it needs fertilizer as well but if you have dormant Bermuda, don’t fertilize until active growth begins - when nighttime temperatures are above 60 degrees.

Fertilize plants with a balanced mix. For flowering trees and shrubs, use a fertilizer that contains phosphate and potassium, such as 18-5-10 or any balanced fertilizer that has a middle number in the 5 - 10 range. Give your flowers a boost by using a water-soluble bloom stimulator or a slow-release such as a 14-12-14 preparation.

Later in the month, after the soil has warmed, mulch roses, shrubs, trees, flowers, and cool season vegetables with 3" - 4" of organic material. Keep mulch away from stems of plants wherever possible. Wait until April to mulch warm season vegetables.

If you don’t have a compost bin or pile, this might be a good time to start one as compost is one of the very best additions to your soil. Don’t be put off by the complicated instructions you will find in some places. Compost will happen with the simplest methods, even just piling yard and kitchen waste in a pile and wetting it once in awhile. Turning it periodically will speed the process and many people advocate adding a bit of manure (deodorized ok), a shovel or two of soil, or such things as cola and urine. It is also easy to make a bin out of pallets or wire. More than one bin makes it easier to turn, just move the materials from one bin to another.

After March 15, prune frost damaged wood on plants, cutting back to green wood and then fertilize plants with slow-release fertilizer.

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