What to Do in the Garden in March

You were in the garden over the weekend, picked up a pot and there it was; a baby slug. Your nemesis, the one thing you dislike with all your might. You turn around, however, and smile. The daffodils, tulips and hyacinths are coming through, the promise of a splash of colour so early in the season. If you haven’t been doing so already, you will probably start digging over your beds – although, has anyone tried the no-dig method? We’re curious! – and you can’t hold back any more, you will promptly start sowing seed. This is what you can do in the garden in March.

In the garden

• Move deciduous trees or shrubs; now is also the time to feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a slow release fertiliser.
• Plant summer flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladiolus.
• Cut back dead foliage of ornamental grasses, dogwood, hydrangeas and perennials.
• Trim winter flowering heather.
• Lift and divide snowdrops.
• Dig over, weed and rake beds to directly sow annuals.
• Sweet peas can be hardened off.
• Last chance to prune Wisteria.
• Deadhead early flowering bulbs such as daffodils, crocus and snowdrops; let foliage to die back.
• Choose a dry day to mow your lawn on the highest setting.

In the kitchen garden

• If you had green manure on your beds, not is the time to dig it in.
• Plant asparagus plants.
• You can still force rhubarb, but if you haven’t this time round, simply mulch it.
• Plant out onions, shallots and garlic sets.
• Plant fruit trees such as apple and pear trees.
• If you have pruned branches of trees, use them as pea sticks or to make wigwams.
• Continue to plant raspberry canes.
• If you haven’t added manure to your beds this year, perhaps chicken pellets are the way to go as they break down slowly.

Sowing seeds

• Hardy annuals such as …. Can be sowed directly.
• You can still sow some broad beans indoors. Alternatively, sow them along with peas and sugar snap peas directly.
• Start chitting potatoes if you haven’t already. Some very early varieties can be planted out now as well. If you haven't done so before, chitting simply entails putting your potatoes in a egg carton and placing them on the windowsill. The eyes (small nodules on the potato) should be pointing upwards.
• Direct sow a row of carrots, radishes and lettuce.
• Sow tomato, pepper and chilli seeds indoors or in a heated greenhouse.
• Brussel sprouts
• Direct sow a row of carrots, radishes and lettuce.
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Basil
• Parsley
• Sunflower
• Rudbeckia
• Cosmos
• Sweet pea
• Hollyhock
• Angelica gigas

General

• Plant out forced bulbs such as hyacinths or daffodils.
• Keep an eye out for slugs!
• Ventilate the greenhouse on warmer days.
• If you don’t have the space to start plants from seed, now might be a good time to order in some plug plants.
• Start weeding as soon as you see signs of growth. Do not underestimate those pesky weeds! No need to do a big job, just hoe over the beds; dislodging the seedling will dry the roots and ultimately kill the plant.
• Solitary bees and bumblebees are waking up! Facilitate a nice habitat which they can call home.

• Remove pond heaters and check for algae. Scoop out leaves, but be careful with any frogs or frog spawn!
• If you are thinking potentially making a pond, now is the ideal time!
• Check newly planted trees are still healthy.
• Check that your plants are not pot bound.
• Why not use a diary to keep track of your progress and the changing of the seasons? Not just for sowing seeds, but jobs to be done, germination rate, when you plant them out and what the harvest is like.

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