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Lots To Do This Month To Get Your Lawn and Gardens Ready For Spring - Check It Out!
March 2018 / Volume 132
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All kinds of garden tips (Lawn & Turf, Fruits & Vegetables, Trees & Shrubs, Fruits and other information) for the month of March can be found by clicking on MARCH.
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Wondering how to survive a few more weeks of our Oklahoma winter? Tulsa Master Gardeners will help chase away those winter blues with spring and warm weather gardening tips! Months of planning and preparation come together for a short week in mid-March for the HBA Greater Tulsa Home and Garden Show. March 8th through the 11th, the Tulsa Master Gardeners will showcase a variety of gardening ideas and research-based information which will motivate our visitors to plan, plant and create their own green space.
The Tulsa Master Gardener location has moved this year and is located on the lower level and east wall of the River Spirit Expo at the Tulsa Fair Grounds under the big, yellow sign. Our exhibit will display both a Sun Garden and a Shade Garden, showcasing plants and gardening ideas that are ideally suitable for each garden. We will have on display the structures and the information of master composting. Children can explore the Kids Zone activity with a take-home seed kit of Butterfly Milkweed. The Oklahoma State Department of Entomology's famous Dr. Andrine Shufran will be here with her outstanding Insect Adventure exhibit. Come see live and unusual insects of all kinds from around the world! We will also have OETA Oklahoma Gardening's host, Casey Hentges, in attendance on Saturday from noon until 2 p.m.
Be sure to drop by the Tulsa Master Gardener's booth as we will have many Master Gardeners on hand to assist and answer all of your gardening questions. Stop by and see us!
"The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies" ~ Gertrude Jekyll
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Cool Season Vegetables - What To Plant and When
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| There is a small time window in which to plant cool weather vegetables. This is the month to get early or cool weather vegetables planted in the home garden. The ideal time to plant crops is when the outdoor temperature is 60-65 degrees F during the day and the ground temperature is 40 degrees F or above. For specific information on several vegetables types and access to more resource materials on this subject, click on VEGETABLES. |
As warm weather approaches, many gardeners are eagerly anticipating growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Raised bed gardening is a great option to consider to avoid many soil challenges and has several benefits when compared to traditional in-ground beds. Raised beds may actually provide higher yields, an extended growing season, better soil, improved water conservation, and fewer weeds and pests when compared to traditional gardens. With some planning and preparation, you can create a raised bed garden that will yield successful crops for many years.
C
lick
HERE
to learn more about exactly how best to plan, construct and use a raised bed garden.
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Landscape and Garden Prep for Early Spring
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Even though we haven't reached the clear date for frost-free weather, April 15th for our area, there are many early spring tasks that can be performed in the landscape and garden now. To find out a few of the things to be doing right now before spring officially arrives, click
HERE.
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| 2018 Oklahoma Proven Plants |
Each year about this time, an annual, a perennial, a tree and a shrub are chosen as an Oklahoma Proven variety. Oklahoma Proven is a plant evaluation and marketing program coordinated by the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Oklahoma State University. Designed to help consumers select the best plants for Oklahoma gardens, these plants are tolerant of the varied and difficult environmental conditions found throughout Oklahoma.
C
lick on 2018 OKLAHOMA PROVEN to find out what they are for this year, and what each of these four Oklahoma Proven's plus the Collector's Choice have been since 1999.
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{Bean} {Lotus Flower}
 
{Poppy} {Milkweed} |
Have you been thinking about becoming a seed-saver, but haven't had the time? Try it this year and, when you do, you'll not only be harvesting the fruits of your labor, but preserving a garden legacy for years to come.
Seed collection not only conserves 100 year-old Italian heirloom tomato plant varieties (or your favorite veggie or flower), but is also an educational and fun activity, and one that is sure to improve your own gardening proficiency, if explored. Click HERE to learn how to properly save those seeds.
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March is an exciting and busy time for planting, caring for and pruning roses. Early March usually shows roses starting to leaf out and side buds will start swelling. March 15th is the average date for pruning and removing the winter protection for your roses. However, a quick look at the upcoming weather is necessary as excessive freezing could affect your pruning.
Click
HERE
to find out more the correct pruning and care of roses in early Spring.
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Blackberries & Raspberries:
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know
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While most gardens are still sleeping, many gardeners (and would-be gardeners) are dreaming of fresh fruit growing abundantly in their own gardens. They dream, but don't believe they could actually grow fruit - so many don't even try. While it's true that most fruits are difficult to grow in Oklahoma, berries could make fruit-lover's dreams come true.
Blackberries, for instance, are one of the easiest to grow and most dependable producers in Oklahoma. For those that are willing to put in the additional effort, growing raspberries (and blackberry-raspberry hybrids) is another option for producing fruit in an Oklahoma garden.
Cl
ick
HERE
to learn MUCH more about both of these delicious fruits along with a plethora of additional resources for your reading pleasure.
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Toxic Plants - What You Should Know About Them
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Not every beautiful fruit or berry or flower is as innocent as it may appear. Some harbor sinister aspects that would bring an unhappy ending to any story. And whether it be the awful stomach ache of a child, or the death of a songbird, a sickly dog or cat or even the foundering of a backyard chicken, those endings can be avoided with a bit of research by the gardener before finalizing a landscape or designing a garden. Cl
ick
HERE
to learn which common yard plants can post a health hazard to humans and pets plus access to resource materials that describe the issue in greater detail.
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DID YOU KNOW?
The Tulsa Master Gardener Foundation is a 501 (c) (3) organization. As such, it receives no city, state or federal funding for its Tulsa community outreach programs. In fact, the Tulsa's Master Gardener programs are self-funded by its own fundraisers, from member donations, and from public donations.
The main Tulsa Master Gardener fundraiser is its Annual Spring Plant Sale that is held each April. Other fundraisers include the Garden Tour and Garage Sale in June. And, one of the most important income sources that sometimes gets overlooked are the personal and corporate donations. These are so important in helping us to meet our financial obligations and we want you to know they are very much appreciated.
NEW! MG Endowment Fund
Did you know that we have been around for over three decades, since 1983? And, we plan to be around for many more decades. Did you know that
we are one of the top five Master Gardener county programs in the entire nation? We are, indeed, because of the size of our Foundation membership as well as the diversity and activity level of our community outreach programs!
So, we are pleased to announce, in partnership with the Tulsa Community Foundation, the Master Gardener Foundation recently established an Endowment Fund to ensure our long-term financial strength. Our plans are to build this fund for many years before making any withdrawals from it. Please consider us as you make your annual gift giving as well as longer-term estate planning decisions. Remember, all donations are fully tax deductible!
We thank you for having been such faithful contributors both in the past and in advance for your future consideration and participation!
Donations for this month include:
Tulsa Master Gardener General Fund
Judy Feuquay
Judith & Ed Payton
Phyllis Campbell
Joe Dutton
Connie Conrad
Susan West
Diane Tempelmeyer
Jackie Rago
Elizabeth Ann Jackman
Kathryn Barr
Tulsa Master Gardener Exploring Insects Program
Bernard N. / Marcialyn Robinowitz
Tulsa Master Gardener Endowment Fund
Elizabeth Ann Jackman
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Got a Question? Or Maybe a Soil or Plant Sample?
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Our Master Gardeners are on hand to assist you with even the toughest gardening questions. Visit us in person, by phone, via email or online! Hours of operation are Monday through Friday 9:00 a.m to 4:00 p.m.
Address: 4116 E. 15th Street, Gate 6 at the Fairgrounds
Phone: (918) 746-3701
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All about butterfly gardening in Tulsa County.
How to Take a Soil Test
How to collect a good sample of soil from your lawn or garden and get it tested at the OSU lab.
Once you have collected your soil test and gotten the results back, now what? Find out here.
Show and tell.
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State horticulturists, nurseries and growers pick favorite plants, shrubs and trees for use in the Oklahoma landscape. See the winners for this year and years past.
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A list of recommended trees with descriptions.
A list of over 60, by size and color.
Visit our demonstration garden on
15th Street, open 7 days a week.
Current and historical source of rainfall, air temperatures, soil temps and much more. Click on Bixby station.
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Oklahoma State University, in compliance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices or procedures. This includes but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.
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