This month you will begin to see new growth on your pruned roses. It is amazing how fast some of them start to grow back, while others take more of a rest. You can use organic fertilizer any time now, fish emulsion, alfalfa meal, cottonseed meal, or worm castings, but if you are using chemicals wait for at least 4 inches of new growth and for the new growth to turn from red to green before you use anything.

Just a note: don’t be tempted to use fireplace ashes in your garden. While many books recommend it, they will make our soil too alkaline here in Southern California .

Your first treatment of chemical fertilizer should only be about half strength. If you are plagued by fungus you may want to give a prophylactic spray of fungicide to the new growth. And keep an eye out for aphids - those tiny green insects that will cluster on the new growth, especially around the buds - and zap them with a spray of water every day.

As the days get longer, new growth will start to appear on perennials that were cut back in earlier months. Start pinching tips on fuchsias and blue hibiscus to keep them bushy. Begin to fertilize all perennials and shrubs now with the exception of camellias and azaleas. Wait until they are through blooming.

March is the second best month of the year in our area to plant perennials and shrubs, with the exception of tropical plants. Wait until it warms up for them. If you missed the boat in October, it is not too late to be rewarded this summer with a beautiful display.

You can choose from dozens of varieties and new ones are being introduced every day. The trick to having a good garden in Southern California isn’t so much having a green thumb as it is being able to show some restraint!

These days the nursery departments of any home improvement center, hardware store and even some supermarkets are overflowing with vigorous, robust perennials in one gallon containers. Their labels have vague little symbols like a whole sun, or a half sun, or a water drop filled half way up, as well as the often ignored planting guide: space 3’ to 5’ apart.

When you buy that plant, you usually think about the site in terms of its sun exposure. You might even consider the amount of water it needs. But I’ll almost guarantee that you won’t plant it 3 to 5 feet from any other plants. It’ll be more like 5 plants to every 3 feet of garden space. Am I right? After all, this is the age of instant gratification. And on top of all that, you’ll give them a good dose of fertilizer to jump-start them.

And my bet is next fall you’ll be looking for something new to put in the same place where you just spent hours digging out the resulting mass of overgrown, tangled, diseased plants whose name you can’t even remember.

The point is, don’t be easily seduced when you are plant shopping. Otherwise you will always be trying to fix what never is right. Take some time

to study your site and learn a little about the plants that will thrive there. Then make an educated choice and plant intelligently. Think about the background

and other plants around it. Will it standout or blend in? Which do you prefer?

If you need help, go to a nursery where there are certified nursery personnel to answer your questions.

Early March is the ideal time to plant root vegetables. Beets, carrots, radishes and turnips will germinate and thrive in cool soil, and successive plantings can ensure having them table-ready into the summer. Sow them in well-tilled beds according to package recommendations and keep them evenly moist throughout the day. Carrots need more nitrogen than the other root vegetables and will do best in well-amended soil that has been dug deep. Carrot and radish seeds can be mixed and then sown in tandem. The radishes germinate and mature quickly, so as you pull them, you will be spacing the carrots as well. A pair of needle-nose pliers works well for thinning seedlings.

Root vegetables need a consistent supply of moisture to develop an even form without cracking or becoming misshapen. Less water for carrots at 4-6 weeks will encourage the roots to grow deep and straight. Thereafter, resume a watering schedule that keeps them evenly moist. All root veggies appreciate a good layer of mulch to keep the soil moist and cool as they mature. They will become pithy or woody if not harvested in a timely manner. I mark my calendar so as not to forget, checking maturity at the seed packet’s estimated date. Eating these veggies will supply substantial amounts of vitamin C (turnips & radishes), potassium (beets) and vitamins A, B, C & potassium (carrots).