It
may still be rather chilly in March but the growing season will soon
start with a vengeance and you will be flat out, so now is the time
to prepare your garden for the coming season. Here are just some of
the jobs you should be doing in the garden in March:
Jobs in
the Vegetable Garden:
-
Spread compost or manure onto your vegetable beds
and/or dig in green manures that have been in the bed over the
winter months.
-
Remove any weeds that have popped up and prepare beds
for seed planting.
-
Chit first early potatoes and towards the end of the
month plant them outdoors.
-
Plant alliums such as onions, garlic and shallots as
long as soil is not waterlogged or frozen.
-
Direct sow such plants as carrots, lettuces and
radishes under cloches in more southern or protected, warmer areas.
Jobs in
the Fruit Garden/ Orchard:
-
There is still time to plant some fruit trees before
they burst into leaf in the spring.
-
Plant rhubarb crowns or mulch existing plants with
compost or manure.
-
Plant bare root raspberry canes before you run out of
time.
-
Cut autumn fruiting raspberry canes to the ground to
encourage new canes to grow.
-
Feed blueberry plants with an ericaceous plant feed.
Jobs in
the Flower Garden:
-
Plant your summer flowering bulbs in beds, borders and
containers.
-
Plant bare root roses and prune existing bushes to
encourage strong new growth.
-
Now is the time to plant or re-pot some hardwood
cuttings from last year.
-
In the south, March can be the time to plant out hardy
annuals.
-
This is a good time to cut back and prune a number of
different shrubs.
Jobs
Under Cover:
-
Sow annual flowers for planting out in June.
-
Sow brassicas and other vegetables for planting out
later.
-
Direct sow a variety of plants and vegetables in the
greenhouse or polytunnel.
-
Plant first earlies in your covered space to get the
very earliest of first early potatoes.
-
Bring strawberry plants under cover for an earlier
crop.
General
Garden Jobs:
-
Prepare the ground to give it time to settle before
sowing lawn seed or lay new turf.
-
Re-cut lawn edges and mow as and when it becomes
necessary to do so.
-
Top dress all your containers and garden bed areas with
organic mulches and composts.
-
Take the chance to maintain paths and patios before
weeds take over.
-
March is a good time to create a new garden wildlife
pond.