Monthly Gardening Advice – March

MARCH

Lawncare

• If the weather is mild, you may need to start mowing, remember to cut on the lawn mowers highest setting.
• In late March apply a high nitrogen feed like Scotts ‘Lawn Builder’.
• It’s a great time to sow a wildflower meadow.
• Turf can be laid as long as the ground is not waterlogged or frozen. Work off planks of wood to avoid compacting soil, then leave undisturbed for a couple of weeks to allow the roots to establish – keep well watered.
• Prepare seedbeds for new lawns to be seeded later in spring but only if the soil is not too wet.

Houseplant Care

• Do not leave houseplants on windowsills behind curtains or blinds on frosty nights.
• Many conservatory plants can be pruned in early spring. Shorten the stems of cestrum, brugmansia, and argyranthemum, also plumbago and passion flowers can be thinned.
• Clean shiny- leaved plants with a damp cloth and spiky leaves with a soft brush.
• Stand houseplants on trays of damp gravel or stones to give the plants extra humidity in centrally heated homes.

Jobs To Do In the Garden

• Check that all your winter frost protection is securely in place.
• Lift and divide larger clumps of perennials.
• Top dress containers with fresh compost.
• Cut back cornus (dogwood), salix (willow), buddleja (butterfly bush), lavatera, perovskia, hardy fuchsia and other summer or late summer flowering deciduous shrubs.
• Plant deciduous hedging, roses, shrubs and trees.
• Prune spring flowering shrubs once they have finished flowering.
• Sweet peas can be sown outside this month.
• Protect new shoots from slugs.

Jobs To Do In The Greenhouse

• Check that heaters are working.
• Remember to ventilate your greenhouse on sunny days.
• Start cannas into growth by potting up water sparingly and place in a light position, increase watering as growth develops.
• Begonia, gloxinia, dahlia and achimenes tubers can all be planted in trays this month before potting on once growth appears.
• Prick out seedlings before they get too crowded.
• Top dress citrus with fresh compost.
• Look out for plug plants, which are now ready for sale. Grow on in the greenhouse, while avoiding the need for propagation facilities and labour.
• Soft tip fuchsia cuttings can be taken this month.
• Greenhouse bulbs that have finished flowering can be given a high potash feed (Tomorite) to help build the bulb up for next season.

The Vegetable Garden

• Chit early and main-crop potatoes.
• Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under glass.
• Net fruit and vegetable plants to keep birds off.
• Plant onions, shallots and early potatoes.
• Prune currants, gooseberries and autumn raspberries especially new bush or cordons
• Protect brassicas from pigeons.
• Finish planting bare-root fruit trees and bushes.
• Prepare beds and supports for peas and runner beans
• Continue to harvest parsnips, brussels, sprouting broccoli, winter salad, spring cauliflower and leeks.
• Prepare polythene protection for peach leaf curl on peaches and nectarines.
• Sow peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, salad and aubergines inside.

Wildlife & Bird Care

• Put out food for the hungry birds don’t forget to put some on the ground as well as the bird table.
• Put up nesting boxes for birds.
• Keep birdbaths topped up with water.
• Clean birdbaths and tables
• Put out log and/ or rock piles to create areas of shelter for wildlife
• Plan and dig wildlife pond
• Hang a bee-nesting box
• Sow or plant a wildflower meadow
• Introduce frogspawn to your pond
• Put out hedgehog and badger food.

Any Other Advice

• Forced indoor bulbs that were inside during the winter period, which have finished flowering can be planted in the garden.
• It’s a great time to install a water butt and collect your own rainwater.

Enjoy your garden and don’t forget to take time and stop and stare at the wonder of nature. Happy gardening!