It’s March, we are setting the clocks ahead this weekend and the daytime temperatures have reached above 50 degrees, but winter may still have a few last gasps before we can say spring has arrived and planting can start.

St. Patrick’s Day is a traditional day for some to plant potatoes and peas, but smart gardeners wisely check the soil temperature before planting their vegetable seed. If the soil is too cold, the seeds will sit there and may rot before sprouting and growing.

To check the soil temperature, invest in a soil thermometer. You can find one for about $10 to $15 at a local garden store or from an online garden supply company. Take the soil temperature in mid-morning by inserting the thermometer’s probe 2 inches into the soil for small-seeded crops (such as lettuce) and 4 inches into the soil for large-seeded crops (such as squash and beans). The probes of some of the soil thermometers have markings that indicate inches to make this easier.

Seeds of early spring cool-season crops can be planted when the soil temperature is 40 degrees or above. This includes lettuce, peas, kale, radishes, arugula and spinach. When the soil reaches 50 degrees, plant seeds of leeks, onions, Swiss chard and turnips. Wait until it reaches 60 degrees for planting beans, beets, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots and cauliflower, and 70 degrees for cucumbers, squash, melons and corn. The soil temperature should be consistent for several days before deciding these optimum temperatures have been reached.

Seed potatoes are best planted when the soil temperature is 45 degrees or above and daytime temperatures are consistently in the 65 degree range and nighttime temperatures in the 55 to 65 degree range.

If you are anxious to plant, warm up the soil faster by covering the garden with a sheet of clear plastic. To keep the wind from wreaking havoc with the plastic, lay it out smoothly and then pull it taut, firmly burying all the edges in trenches.

If you choose to keep the plastic in place, you can plant seeds and transplants by making holes in the plastic, but weeds will grow profusely under the plastic. In addition, the clear plastic will heat the soil to plant damaging or stressful levels during the sunny, hot part of summer unless your garden plants are big enough to shade the plastic by then.

Clear plastic works better than black plastic for warming the soil because it allows sunlight in during day and then traps heat that builds, much like a greenhouse. I recommend warming the soil with clear plastic, but removing it before planting. Gardeners also find that the soil in raised beds warms faster, and situating your garden so it receives full sun and faces south will also help.

The last average date of frost for our area is May 1. Keep in mind that tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cukes, squash and melons will need protection if frost is in the forecast. Row cover fabrics can provide several degrees of protection.

— Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for Washington State University Benton County Extension.

It’s easy to step on early spring bloomers such as daffodils while cleaning up mulch and winter clutter. To prevent damage, mark the plants with something like the branches from a recently pruned crape myrtle. Cut them in 12-to-14-inch lengths, tie a small piece of bright ribbon on one end and place the other end in the ground. Once the growth is tall enough to be easily seen, the sticks are moved to later bloomers, emerging perennials or saved for next year. Lois Kaivani, Charlotte

Another use for pantyhose

My father taught me to cut pantyhose into strips of any size to use as ties for plants that need support. These ties are strong and plant friendly. Plus, you recycle those old runny hose! Sybil Huskey, Rock Hill

Recruit the kids

Our yard fills up quickly with painful “pricker balls” (gum tree balls) and pine cones. Raking is very time consuming and picking up by hand is quite a burden on the back. Mowing creates woody projectiles. I recruit my preschooler and her house guests to see how many they can collect. It keeps them entertained – and outside – and I get a hazard-free lawn. Jessica Norman, Charlotte

Simple tool multitasks

My old cultivator is my garden friend. Being older, I need extra support. It’s a walking stick, a brace for kneeling, a stick picker-upper, a branch grabber, and even a clod buster.

I also drape a bandana around my neck that has been sprayed with DEET, as the bugs like me. Carol Dzvonik, Davidson

An essential for organizing

I’m a Mecklenburg County Extension master gardener, so I spend a lot of time volunteering and on my own gardening projects. Years ago, my brother and sister-in-law gave me a Bucket Boss, which is a pocket-filled canvas sleeve that fits over a five-gallon bucket. I’m able to organize all my hand tools and small accessories like gloves, safety glasses, insect repellant, even my lip gloss in the bucket, which is then my portable carry-all.

There’s no running back to the utility room for items left behind. It’s a dream for pruning, planting and cleanup chores. And it travels with me to various projects. Amazing how a plain, inexpensive tool has become so indispensable! Tonya Banbury, Indian Land, S.C.

Caffeinate your plants

Save money on plant fertilizer! Ask your favorite coffee shop for their “Grounds For Gardeners.” I have been doing this for years and have had huge blooms on my roses, perennials and flowering shrubs. Here’s how to spread them: Just before a good rain, sprinkle the coffee grounds around the perimeter of the plants (but not on the crowns). In about two weeks you will see a happier plant!

Save the filters for your compost bin if you like. E.J. McGee, Charlotte

A binder for gardening articles

I have a three-ring binder to organize gardening and similar articles (including Nancy Brachey’s gardening articles in the Charlotte Observer). I categorize it with plastic dividers with pockets for each subject, such as soils and mulch, annuals, perennials, bulbs, ornamental grasses, groundcovers and vines. Fred Sutton Jr., Clover, S.C.

With spring 11 days away, Domenick Voce, the owner of Atlantic Nursery in Mays Landing, knows his customers will soon stop by his place looking to improve their backyard gardens.

Voce said the most valuable first step is to come up with a plan before any work is done. In creating plans, homeowners need to think about the architecture of their homes, their personal styles and their wants and needs.

“Make sure you have made your garden space large enough to accommodate the plantings you would like to install. Making your garden space too small and not allowing room for growth will make your garden overcrowded quickly. Bring the dimensions of your garden along with pictures when you visit the nursery. The staff will be better equipped to help you,” Voce said. “Buying insufficient amounts of one variety of a plant and instead buying one of everything you like can make your garden look hodgepodge with very little consistency.”

Colleen Dunne, landscape designer at At-lantic Nursery with 25 years of experience, said when redoing anything in a garden, homeowners should take in consideration the sun, wind, drainage and soil condition of their property.

“People may want a patio, but if you have a western exposure, you will receive the full afternoon heat of the sun, which may not be a good idea. You may want a meadow garden, but if you have poor drainage, there will be some needs you will have to deal with,” said Dunne, who added Atlantic Nursery offers the “we plan, you plant” service. “In southern New Jersey, people tend to use a lot of native plants that attract wildlife. You can start with seeds indoors, move the plants outdoors after

May 15 and have flowers in the summertime.”

Mona Bawgus, a certified master gardener and consumer horticulturist with Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Atlantic County, said there is a master gardener helpline in effect

9 a.m. to noon on weekdays at 609-625-0056.

Bawgus, who writes the Green Thumbs column for The Press, said one thing homeowners want to avoid in making changes to their backyard gardens is adding harmful invasive plants, such as English ivy, the wisteria vine and purple loosestrife. People who live on barrier islands might want to skip planting arbor vitae shrubs because shrubs don’t like saltwater, Bawgus said. Round beds of plants and flowers are more aesthetically pleasing than straight beds, and gardeners don’t want to make their beds too narrow because then mowing will be difficult, Bawgus said.

“Summersweet is good for the area,” said Bawgus, who mentioned the plant that is often found in wetland areas and is attractive to hummingbirds, bees and butterflies.

Tessa Goldsmith, past president of The Little Gardens Club, said a garden should be designed to meet homeowners’ needs while also keeping in mind their ability to maintain it. Otherwise, it will become a chore, the Mays Landing woman said.

Goldsmith, said more people have been adding water features to their gardens whether they are foundations, waterfalls or ponds.

“It depends on how adventurous you want to be,” said Goldsmith, who added ideas for next year’s gardens can come from taking The Little Gardens Club tour on July 13. “A garden never stays still. I know people who completely change their garden every few years.”

Contact Vincent Jackson:

609-272-7202; VJackson@pressofac.com