WHEN TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO 



MARCH— BEGINNING IN EARNEST OUTDOORS 



Herein are listed the seasonal activities for the complete garden. Details of bow to do each item may 

 be found in the current or the back issues of The Garden Magazine — it is manifestly impossible to 

 make each number of the magazine a complete manual of practice. References to back numbers may be 

 looked up in the index to each completed volume (sent gratis on request) ; the Service Department will also 

 be glad to cite references to any special topic if asked by mail and to send personal replies to specific ques- 

 tions; a stamped, addressed envelope being enclosed. 



When referring to the time for out-door work of any sort New York City (latitude^) at sea level in 

 a normal season is taken as standard; but at best dates can only be approximate. Roughly, the season 

 advances northward fifteen miles a day. Thus Albany, which is one hundred and fifty miles from New 

 York, would be about ten days later, and Philadelphia, which is ninety miles southwest, about a week 

 earlier. Also allow four days for each degree of latitude, for each five degrees of longitude, and for each 

 four hundred feet of altitude. 



(Copyright, 1922, Doubleday, Page y Co.) 



[OW we begin to put into practice plans made during the win- 

 ter's lull and to resume actual out-of-door activities. Best 

 complete any neglected details of your schedule at once so as 

 to throw yourself wholeheartedly into its successful execution. 

 In June the gardener reaps the rich rewards of forethought in 

 all sorts of delectables for his table and secretly, or, indeed, sometimes 

 very openly, congratulates himself on his wisdom in keeping well ahead 

 of the game! 



General 



This is positively the last call for dormant spraying and for pruning. 



It is of little use to spray and spray again the fruit trees, if near-by 



ornamental shrubs infested with scale are left untreated. Be 



thorough. 

 Prune the late flowering shrubs but leave alone the early flowering 



ones until just after they have bloomed; which in a single sentence 



gives the governing principle for all ornamental flowering shrubs. 



Early bloomers flower on the wood made last year, late bloomers 



bear the flowers on new wood of this season. 

 At this time of the year bulb stock requires 20-25 days from the time of 



being brought indoors until flowers open. Double Tulips take a 



little longer. Figure your supply accordingly. 



Seeds to Sow in Heat 



Sow Primulas for flowering next fall and winter (P. malacoides and its 



varieties are best sown in June.) 

 Sow Heliotrope and Centaurea gymnocarpa in a temperature of 50 



for bedding out in May. 

 Sow Schizanthus retusus. Transplant to flats, later pot and grow on 



in a cool temperature, rich soil, and good drainage. Pinch off the 



flower buds until required to bloom. 

 Sow Clarkias and grow on to flower in six-inch pots. No pinching is 



necessary. Pick off dead blossoms and they will continue to 



bloom well through the summer. 

 Sow Hunnemannia fumariaefolia in paper pots for summer flowering. 



Annual Gypsophila can be used in conjunction with almost any 



other flower for table decorations during the summer months. 



Make a sowing now in the hotbed for June flowering, again three 



weeks hence, and so on through the summer to keep up a succession. 

 Procure Lilium speciosum for summer blooming now, pot into five-or 



six-inch pots, and grow cool; useful for brightening the show house 



or conservatory. 



Plants from Cuttings 



Pot up early rooted Chrysanthemums. Don't leave them in the sand 



after the roots are an inch long. 

 Continue propagation of Chrysanthemums and bedding stock, as 



cuttings are available. 

 Complete propagation of Carnations as soon as possible, now that the 



days are getting brighter, which makes rooting more difficult — 



make the most of every opportunity to get a "crack of fresh air" on 



the ventilators. Warm weather brings swarms of thrips. Look 



out for them, spray and fumigate. 

 Pot on bedding stock propagated from cuttings last fall and space out 



on the benches as they show signs of crowding. 

 Alternantheras may still be rooted in sand. Divide up plants wintered 



over in flats; put out in a gentle hotbed, where they will make fine 



plants for setting out at the end of May. 



Root cuttings of Alyssum saxatile. Divide up old plants of Erfordii, 

 Luminosa, and Chatelaine Begonias; repot the pieces, or cut 

 back, and take cuttings from the new basal growths. 



Make cuttings from stock plants of Hydrangeas saved for this purpose; 

 or from the basal growths of those being forced into flower at this 

 time. Take cuttings of Marguerites and Heliotrope. 



Vegetables on Hand and to Come 



As weather conditions permit uncover the Asparagus and Rhubarb. 



Sprinkle salt on the Asparagus bed, also nitrate of soda, using 



about 1 § lbs. per square rod. 

 Encourage Rhubarb into growth by placing barrels over the crowns, 



and banking round the barrels with hot manure. 

 Dig all Parsnips, and Oyster plants that have been in the ground all 



winter, and store in a cold cellar. 

 Whenever possible dig the vegetable patch, and endeavor to get a little 



deeper than ever before, to break up the hard pan which cuts off 



the water supply during the growing season. 

 As soon as the soil is dry enough to plant without sticking to the 



tools, plant all of the most hardy vegetables, without regard to the 



fluctuations of the thermometer. Plant thick and shallow at this 



time. 

 Lettuce and Cauliflower pricked-off into frames to mature will be 



ready for the table some time ahead of outdoor plants. Sow 



Beans (String) in a frame where they will mature. 



Berry Bushes 



Last year's wood of Gooseberries will yield the best fruit; therefore 

 cut out all superfluous shoots, and trim the points only of those 

 that remain. Keep the main shoots six inches apart, and the 

 middle of the bush open. This will let light and air into the 

 plants, and greatly facilitate picking the fruit. 



Red Currants may be " spurred-back " to a couple of buds; with a few 

 shoots left longer for extension, if needed. Merely cut away 

 exhausted branches of Black Currants and encourage basal 

 growths to take their place. Spur back side shoots that are 

 too numerous. 



Get at Raspberries and Blackberries that were not thinned out and 

 headed back after fruiting last fall. 



Frames 



The big job is to make up the main batch of hotbeds. Details of 



procedure appeared in last Month's Reminder. 

 Air on all favorable occasions frames that have been in use during the 



winter carrying over plants; protection is still necessary on very 



cold nights. 

 Transplant such plants as were started last month. Make sowings of 



Peppers, Eggplants, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and Melons. 

 Sow Annuals as required, such as: Annual Larkspurs, Snapdragon, 



Drummond Phlox, Pentstemon, Sweet-peas, and Verbenas. 



These require cool treatment when once they have started; avoid 



extremes. 

 Continue to repair the coldframes, glaze the sash and have ready 



for pricking-off the young plants as needed. 

 Deep frames with a northern exposure with 2-3 ft. of head room are 



useful for keeping bulbs in after the flowers have opened. Lay 



newspapers over the sash above Tulips on bright days. 



16 



