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Gardening tips by month

March gardening tips: what to prune, feed & protect

A March garden checklist built from our plant care guides. Garden jobs depend on your local frost dates, so tasks are grouped for cold, moderate and mild climates. Find yours below, then tap any plant for full step-by-step instructions.

March in cold winters (zones 3–5)

Pruning in March

Spraying & disease prevention in March

  • Apple tree: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Apple tree: dormant fungicide spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Apricot tree: dormant fungicide spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Apricot tree: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Asian pear: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Holly: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Magnolia: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Peach / nectarine: peach leaf curl spray (before bud swell) (Mar 22 – Apr 12)
  • Pear (European): dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Persimmon: dormant oil spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)
  • Quince: dormant fungicide spray (Mar 29 – Apr 26)

Soil, compost & mulch in March

  • Apple tree: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Azalea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Bigleaf hydrangea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Blueberry: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Boxwood: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Hybrid tea rose: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)
  • Lilac: test the soil (every 3 years) (Mar 15 – Apr 19)

March in moderate winters (zones 6–7)

Pruning in March

Fertilizing in March

Spraying & disease prevention in March

Soil, compost & mulch in March

  • Apple tree: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Azalea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Bigleaf hydrangea: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Blueberry: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Boxwood: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Climbing hydrangea: top-dress with compost (Mar 25 – Apr 29)
  • Hybrid tea rose: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Hybrid tea rose: top-dress with compost (Mar 25 – Apr 29)
  • Lilac: test the soil (every 3 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 25)
  • Smooth hydrangea: top-dress with compost (Mar 25 – Apr 29)

Frost & winter protection in March

  • Apricot tree: protect blossoms from frost (Mar 11 – Apr 15)
  • Kiwi vine: protect new shoots from late frost (Mar 25 – Apr 22)
  • Strawberry: pull back winter mulch (Mar 25 – Apr 8)

Other care in March

March in mild winters (zones 8–10)

Pruning in March

  • Azalea: prune right after flowering (Mar 18 – Apr 15)
  • Bigleaf hydrangea: light spring prune (old flower heads and dead stems only) (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
  • Bougainvillea: main prune (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
  • Boxwood: shape after the spring growth flush (Mar 25 – Apr 22)
  • Butterfly bush: cut back hard (Feb 11 – Mar 11)
  • Camellia: prune right after flowering (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
  • Citrus (lemon, lime, orange): light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
  • Clematis: prune Group 1 clematis after flowering (Mar 11 – Apr 1)
  • Fig tree: remove winter damage and shape (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
  • Flowering dogwood: minimal prune after flowering (Mar 25 – Apr 22)
  • Forsythia: prune right after flowering (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
  • Garden mum: pinch back for bushy plants (Mar 25 – Apr 8)
  • Hazelnut / filbert: remove suckers (Mar 25 – Apr 8)
  • Juniper: selective trim (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
  • Lantana: cut back in spring (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
  • Lavender: spring shaping (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
  • Macadamia: light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Apr 8)
  • Magnolia: light prune after flowering (Mar 11 – Apr 8)
  • Pepper: pinch the first flowers (Mar 25 – Apr 8)
  • Redbud: structural prune after flowering (Mar 11 – Apr 8)
  • Rosemary: shape after flowering (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
  • Russian sage: cut back woody stems (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
  • Strawberry tree: light shaping after winter flowering (Feb 11 – Mar 25)
  • Tangerine / mandarin: light prune after harvest (Feb 25 – Mar 25)
  • Thyme: spring trim (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
  • Tropical hibiscus: spring prune (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
  • Viburnum: prune right after flowering (Mar 25 – Apr 22)
  • Weigela: remove winter dieback (Feb 25 – Mar 18)

Fertilizing in March

Spraying & disease prevention in March

  • Apple tree: scab and rust protection sprays (Feb 25 – Mar 11)
  • Apple tree: codling moth and curculio protection (Mar 25 – Apr 8)
  • Asian pear: fire blight protection during bloom (Feb 11 – Mar 4)
  • Boxwood: preventive spray in wet spring weather (blight-prone areas) (Mar 11–25)
  • Camellia: oil spray for tea scale (Mar 11 – Apr 1)
  • Climbing rose: preventive spray for black spot (Mar 18–25)
  • Flowering dogwood: anthracnose prevention (wet springs) (Feb 18 – Mar 4)
  • Grapevine: black rot and mildew protection (Mar 11–18)
  • Hosta: early slug control (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
  • Hybrid tea rose: preventive spray for black spot (Mar 18–25)
  • Pear (European): fire blight protection during bloom (Feb 11 – Mar 4)
  • Pecan tree: foliar zinc sprays (young trees) (Mar 11–18)
  • Peony: botrytis prevention (wet springs) (Feb 18 – Mar 11)
  • Plum tree: curculio protection (Mar 18 – Apr 1)
  • Walnut tree: walnut blight protection (Feb 25 – Mar 11)

Soil, compost & mulch in March

Frost & winter protection in March

  • Kiwi vine: protect new shoots from late frost (Feb 4 – Mar 4)

Other care in March

  • Basil: plant out after frost (Mar 11–25)
  • Black-eyed Susan: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
  • Hosta: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
  • Macadamia: collect fallen nuts (Dec 29 – Mar 23)
  • Ornamental grasses: divide crowded clumps (every 3–4 years) (Feb 18 – Mar 18)
  • Peony: set up supports (Feb 25 – Mar 18)
  • Pepper: plant out peppers (Mar 11 – Apr 1)
  • Tomato: plant out tomatoes (Mar 4–25)
March Gardening Tips: What to Prune & Feed in March | Tend Weekly