Welcome to Spring: The March Checklist

An abnormally mild winter in most of North America has resulted in an early outbreak of summer. In Central Texas, flowers and trees are blooming and insects are out. With only a limited amount of time between the last frost  and summer heat for some areas, it's important to get your garden into the ground as quickly as possible after the last freeze date for your area - which of course should include a check on your 10 day weather forecast before you actually proceed. If you have not already started your vegetable garden from seed, you may want to consider purchasing seedlings and transplanting them into the ground. If you aren't sure what to look for when purchasing seedlings, get more information here.

With all the work that needs to happen in the garden, plus the arrival of baby chicks and baby goats, March is a busy month indeed. Find out what else is on our checklist.

1. Get to the nursery and purchase potted seedlings to either get your garden off to a jump start or supplement what you may not already have in your inventory. 
   
2. Check your garden soil before planting to determine if you need to amend the soil. 
   
3. You can sow seeds of warm weather crops directly into the ground after your last frost date. Bush beans, cucumbers, okra and squash are all good candidates. For larger seeds, soak them overnight in a cup of water to help expedite the germination process.
   
4. Check your irrigation system to make sure it is in a configuration that still works for this year's plantings. Make sure all is in good working order. Check for holes, rips and tears in the line as rodents will sometimes gnaw through the lines to get at the water. 
   
5. March is high season if you are interested in getting some chicks of your own. Research what breed best suits your needs. For the easiest bird keeping, it is best to select one breed and keep all the birds the same breed unless you have a very large space in which to house your poultry. Along with your new chicks, make sure you have the necessary supplies on hand. 
   
6. If you have fields and livestock, be sure to check your fencing for any needed repairs or improvements.  Fencing is not only for keeping your animals where you want them to be, but also for keeping predators out - particularly important when you have youngsters. 
   
7. If rotational grazing works for you, lay out your paddocks now. Buying moveable fencing works great for this purpose. 
   
8. Although green grasses are appearing, initially limit the amount of time animals are grazing on green grass. Feed them hay first and then allow them into the fields for 20 minutes initially and then you can extend the time by 20 minutes each day. Watch for bloat. 
   
9. Thoroughly clean pens, stalls and your milk room as weather permits. 
   
10. Check inventory of kidding supplies. 
    
11. Vaccinate does 4 weeks before freshening (giving birth). Be sure to check your calendar as to which doe is due when. 
    
12. Fill in any muddy spots in the goat yard.
    
13. Daylight savings time starts on March 11. You can ease yourself and your goats into the new routine by starting chores a few minutes earlier each morning.