1 March, 2019 — Your gardening year

March to do list

Bulbs

March gardening jobs! if possible start off dahlias, cannas and begonias in containers in a greenhouse of conservatory this will give them a great start for summer flowering. So many march gardening jobs it is difficult to know where to start.

It is still too early to plant them out into the garden. The ideal time will be mid-Late April.

Slugs and snails are now becoming active so use slug tape or organic slug control to keep them off the young shoots.

Remember to feed spring flowering bulbs with a high phosphate and potash fertiliser such as bonemeal or tomato feed.

Trees, shrubs, flowers and lawns

Prune Hybrid tea roses (large flowered) and Floribunda (cluster flowered) roses and feed to get them off to a good start.

Continue to sow hardy annuals in a greenhouse to get a head start.

Lift and divide perennials but of course be careful not to disturb spring flowering bulbs that are just appearing.

Rake off leaves and winter debris before cutting making sure to avoid spring bulbs.

Lawns are starting to grow will need cutting but keep the mower blade quite high on the first cut. Rake of all the winter debris before cutting and also look for good deals on lawn feed in garden centres ready to apply in the next few weeks.

Fruit, vegetables and herbs

Plant onion sets and shallots in soils that are warming up.

Chit potato’s ready for planting into prepared soils in late March. If you can cover the area were you are planting out vegetables with a plastic sheet or similar as that will warm the soil up quicker.

Fruit trees and bushes can be planted as long as soils are not frozen.

Sow seeds such as broad beans, Brussel sprouts, peas, kale, spinach, radishes and brassicas under cloches. Alternatively they can be started off in seed trays in the greenhouse.  

Cut back the dead parts of herbs, remove the top 5cms of soil and replace with fresh compost making them ready for the season to come.

Garden wildlife

Continue to provide food and water for birds and also leave small twigs and bits of light debris so that they can build nests with.  

Fish will become active in the warmer weather so will also need a bit of food, but not too much.