Marching In! The official end of winter is 21 March.
With spring in the air, now is the busiest time in the garden year.
The Veg Plot
Finish your soil preparation and finalise your plans on which crops to grow. Break up any clumps or bumps and rake in.
If you have not already done so, chit your potatoes now, ready for planting at the end of March.
Be strict about crop rotation. Avoid growing potatoes, brassicas or tomatoes on the same patch of ground for a good four years.
Sow peas. The plants will do better if started off under glass, and also there’s less chance of the seeds being eaten by mice.
Get plant supports in now. Pea sticks or netting for peas, use a wigwam made from bamboo canes or hazel, for climbing beans.
Use a hoe. Wage the war against weeds now, and if the weather’s relatively warm and dry, you can leave weeds on the surface of the ground to wither and rot.
Put out some cloches to grow the earliest salads: rocket, land cress, loose leaf lettuces such as ‘Salad Bowl’ and some of the hardier Cos lettuces. Sow more salad every two weeks for a continuous supply.
Broad beans, parsnips, radish and peas should be sown once the soil is workable.
From mid-March, plant onions and shallots.
Sow annuals in a greenhouse, cold frame, or on a sunny windowsill. Seeds need a loose compost and not much nutrition. Add perlite, vermiculite or gritto your seed compost mix. Loosely heap compost into your tray and smooth off without compacting. Take care to sow thinly and evenly on the surface of the compost. Cover the seeds lightly with sieved compost then stand the seed tray in a basin of water for a few minutes before placing in a warm, sunny spot.
By the end of March, all kinds of veg can go in.
Flowerbeds and Borders
Plant container-grown roses into well-dug soil.
Feed your roses – clear the soil around the base to remove old leaves, stems and perennial weeds. Feed straight after pruning – scatter a fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone or a granular rose food at the base of each rose, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Take annual weeds out before they set seed, and put them in the compost heap.
Prune back thick stems of overgrown ivy plants. Cut back woody stems of hardy fuchsias.
Lift and divide border perennials, which helps to reinvigorate them. As new growth begins, dig out the entire clump and lift them with as much root as possible. Prise them apart gently with a fork. Separate the outermost, younger parts from the old central areas which can be discarded. Re-plant these divisions into well prepared soil that has been forked deeply with compost, along with a dressing of fertiliser such as Growmore or chicken manure. Lightly fork the soil surface, before watering.
Sow hardly annuals directly outdoors if weather is mild: Cerinthe, California Poppy, Cornflower, Linaria. Light, sandy soil gives the best germination rate. Remove perennial weeds and rake soil to break up clods. After sowing, label the area – it can take two to five weeks for germination depending on the temperature so this helps distinguish the new shoots from weeds.
Prepare soil for bedding in April – remove weeds, debris, and loosen compacted areas. Then fork in compost or well rotted manure, which will help the soil retain water and reduce the need for watering in spring and summer. You can also fork in a general fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone which will get plants off to a good start. Prune late, large flowered clematis in early spring. Chop back pruning group 3 to give a good show of flowers this year. If the plant has started to produce new shoots, take care not to damage them and cut the old growth a bit higher.
Pots and Containers
Water pots of spring bedding in dry weather.
Top dress the tops of containers for healthy plants. Scrape away the top 5cm of compost from the pot. If lots of surface roots have made the soil unworkable, it’s time to re-pot your plant (you can do this next month). Add slow release fertiliser granules to the compost, which will give a steady supply of nutrients through spring and summer. Top up the pot with fresh compost, leaving a 1cm gap below the rim to ensure compost doesn’t overflow when you’re watering.
Lawn Care
Prepare the ground for sowing and turfing lawns next month. Remove deep-rooted lawn weeds using a knife or hand fork.
Hedge Care
Rake debris from under hedges and dig out any perennial weeds. Give hedges a feed by applying a granular fertiliser such as fish, blood and bone. Water well if it’s dry.
Fruit Trees
Plant an apple tree. March is the latest time for planting bare root fruit trees, and the ideal time for containerised trees. Fill around the roots with soil and firm well. Stake young trees to keep the roots well anchored and prevent them rocking in the wind. Drive a stake at 45 degrees to the trunk and secure the tree to the stake with a rubber tie.