First week of March 2024 blows over
We now move into the second full week of March. It may be the month of spring’s arrival, but don’t look for too many warm days because there is still plenty of Old Man Winter lingering in the shadows of March and perhaps even through April. March is loaded with histories of hefty snowfalls as well as cold temperatures. We believe there will be more lion-like days than lamb-like days during the month.
Some Kelly green for Saint Patrick’s Day
Most supermarkets and garden centers feature pots of shamrocks during March, decorated for Saint Patrick’s Day with shamrock paper wrap. The shamrocks look like large clover leaves, but unlike clover, they feature dainty white flowers later in spring with tiny petals. They make nice centerpieces for the dining room table and they can be transplanted to larger containers after Saint Patrick’s Day. Use a finely textured potting medium to give them a great start. In about the middle of May, they will produce one-inch sized white petaled flowers and the flowers and foliage will be beautiful all summer. They prefer a semi-sunny location on the porch or carport. They can be kept inside next to a sunny location. Water them once a week and feed with Flower-Tone organic flower food every month. Next spring, they can be placed outside.
Saint Patrick’s Day
That great day for the Irish and all Irish Americans will be celebrated on Monday, March 17. It is a perfect time to set out a row or bed of Irish potatoes with the first day of spring being on Friday, March 21. The soil may be cool but seed potatoes will thrive in this soil temperature. Irish potatoes are a vegetable that requires a growing season of over 90 days. A row or bed should be set out by the end of March to assure harvest before the Dog Days of July begin. This will allow plenty of time for summer vegetable planting of warm weather crops to succeed them. You can choose from Irish cobbler, Kennebec, Red Pontiac, and Yukon Gold.
March is the month to start perennials
Perennials are wonderful additions to porches, decks and carports. They not only provide color but beautiful foliage with little maintenance. They come back in all their glory every season. At this season of the year, most garden centers, hardwares, and nurseries feature perennials in many colors. You can choose from Coral Bells, Veronica, Forget-Me-Nots, Sweet William, Daphne, Creeping Jenny, Diantus, Red Hot Poker, Sea Thrift, Pink Thrift, Creeping Phlox, Candy Tuft, Dusty Miller, Columbine and American Bee Balm. Place perennials in medium-sized pots or containers of fine textured potting medium with one plant in each container. Water the perennials each week and feed with Flower-Tone organic flower food once a month. In winter, move perennials away from exposure from cold weather extremes, or toward the rear of the porch, deck, or carport.
Setting out broccoli and cabbage plants
Broccoli and cabbage plants can now be set — they will thrive in the cool March soil. They like the temperatures during the month and there should not be any more grand freezes. They will produce a harvest before the warm nights of May. You can purchase cabbage plants such as Round Dutch, Stone Head, and Jersey Wakefield. Broccoli choices are Premium Crop, Packman, Raab, Green Comet, and Bonanza. Set broccoli and cabbage plants about two feet apart in a furrow deep enough to cover the roots and some of the stem. Apply a layer of peat moss in the bottom of furrow, place the plants in the peat moss and apply another layer of peat moss then apply Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and mix it into the peat moss. Hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Use the water wand in shower mode to moisten the row. Side-dress with Plant-Tone every two weeks and hill up the Plant-Tone into the into the soil on each side of the row.
Setting out a row or bed of onions
Spring onion sets are available at hardwares, garden centers, and seed shops. You can choose from red, white, and yellow sets and purchase them by the pound. For great results, set them out during the March. Set out in a furrow about six inches deep. Apply a layer of peat moss in the bottom of the furrow and use the water wand in “stream” mode to soak the peat moss. Punch each set root end down into the moist peat moss about three or four inches apart and cover sets with another layer of peat moss. Apply a layer of Plant-Tone organic vegetable food and hill up soil on each side of the furrow. Tamp down top of row with the hoe blade for solid soil contract. Use the water wand in shower mode to add moisture to row and side-dress the onion sets every two weeks with Plant-Tone organic vegetable food.
A water wand is a super tool
A water wand will conserve water by placing water only where it is needed. You can purchase water wands as a nozzle with varied settings or as a three-foot wand type or 18-inch wand. All of them are handy and have six or seven settings ranging from stream, hose, shower, jet, full, flat cone, mist or center. To protect the spring operated lever always remove the wand from the hose when moving from one location to another.
The sweet essence of the colorful hyacinths
The spikes of hyacinths are getting ready to produce colorful blooms as March reaches the halfway mark. As we reach toward spring’s arrival, the essence of these beautiful flowers roll out the welcome mat for spring. Their pastel colors of red, white, yellow, pink, purple, blue, and lavender add a whole new look to the advent of spring time.
Making a pot of Irish stew for Saint Paddy
What could be more hearty on the day of Saint Patrick than a hot bowl of Irish stew to warm your innards? Real Irish stew has large chunks of vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, onions, and mushrooms. Of course in America the main ingredient is stew beef. To prepare a pot of Irish stew, boil two pounds of stew beef until tender (about an hour) and then check for tenderness, boil longer if needed. Set aside and peel and cut raw carrots into two inch pieces, peel and cut potatoes into two inch chunks. Cut three large onions into two inch chunks, add a pound of whole mushrooms and a pack of frozen June peas for added color. Boil the carrots and potatoes in the stewed beef for 20 minutes, add onions and mushrooms and boil for ten minutes, add green peas and boil for five minutes. Add one envelope of Recipe Secrets beefy onion soup mix, two teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, half teaspoon pepper, one teaspoon salt, two tablespoons catsup. Bring all to a boil and simmer five minutes. Mix a cup of cold water and four teaspoons starch until creamy. Add a little at a time until the stew gets as thick as you like it. For extra flavor, add a half pound of crispy fried bacon and several drops of Texas Pete hot sauce.
Making Saint Paddy’s congealed salad
Add plenty of color to Saint Patrick’s Day Supper with this Kelly green congealed salad. You will need one cup of water, eight ounce cup of sour cream, one small can of crushed pineapple, two cups of miniature marshmallows one three once box of lime Jello, three peeled and cubed kiwi fruits, one envelope of Dream Whip (mixed by package instructions) Heat cup of water and prepare Jello by package instructions, add miniature marshmallows to Jello and let them melt in the hot water. Add crushed pineapple, kiwi fruit, prepared Dream whip, and sour cream. Stir together and chill until set (preferably overnight).
Hoe hoe hoedown
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