It's now March and the weather is getting mild with lawns turning green and showing signs of recovering from a long winter's nap. It's probably time to whip out your lawn mower and cut a few blades. A good rule of thumb is to fertilize your lawn after it's been mowed twice, using a slow release fertilizer to build a strong root system. To avoid stressing your lawn, fertilizers should not be applied any later than May 1st.

In spring, a good ratio of nutrients is 20-5-10 or 19-5-9. The digit represents the type of nutrient available in the fertilizers: N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium). Always follow the manufacturers label instructions.

If you experience weed problems, try applying a broad leaf weed killer and spread a pre emergent like Barricade to prevent future occurrence.

If there's little to no chance of another freeze then it's probably ok to plant your vegetable garden transplants like peppers, eggplants, herbs and tomatoes. If growing from seeds, now is the time to plant root crops like radishes, carrots, turnips and beans. Plants should be placed in direct sunlight in an area with good drainage and plenty of organic matter in the soil or media.

Feed trees and shrubs with a fertilizer ratio of 16-8-8 or 16-4-8. Roses should be sprayed with a fungicide and insecticide like Rose Defense. Plant all your spring flowers such as marigolds, geraniums, begonias, petunias and others around this time. If you're unsure of when to start planting, ask your local nursery for details on specific spring flowers that bloom the best in your specific location.