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It’s March, and your garden should be starting to show signs of life. Whether it is Snowdrops and Crocus, or your Sedums shooting, it’s time to start thinking about jobs for the coming season and what projects need starting to get your garden growing. If you’re thinking about your veg plot, what to do with your lawn or your next step in the greenhouse here’s a few tips and pointers to jobs that will get you started.
General maintenance such as firming in any newly planted trees and bushes and tying back any branches on trained trees needs to be done now. Lawn Turf is now available and laying a new lawn or just patching an existing lawn should not be a problem as long as the weather permits. Mowing will not be necessary for a few weeks yet, so spend your time scarifying and spiking your lawn. This will improve drainage and the overall quality later in the season.
If you want to make more of your snowdrops, dig them up and divide them. You can also divide perennials in your borders to help them thrive and increase your planting numbers. This is also a perfect time to buy and plant perennials to create stunning flower shows throughout the season. I start to prune roses and give them a feed. Scatter the rose feed on the surface then work it into the soil. You can start to feed the perennials in your borders now also.
Vegetable growers will be getting busy this month and weather permitting you could sow: Broad Beans, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Cauliflowers, Leeks, Lettuces, Onions, Parsnips, Peas, Radishes, Spinach, and Turnips outdoors. This does depend on the variety and weather, so choose suitable varieties and use cloches or keep them indoors for a few weeks.
Other things to plant are Rhubarb and Onion/Shallot Sets; just make sure the soil is prepared well before planting. If you have a cold frame, I like to sow herbs to use in planters and window boxes for cooking and storage throughout the year. Pests such as slugs and birds will start to think about your veg soon too so look to net areas where you will grow Brassicas and get your slug pellets and traps at the ready.
Are you thinking of planting fruit this year? If so, now is the time to do it. For a full list of what we stock, information on pollination and a general guide to our fruit, visit our detailed fruit page. For people with existing fruit, it is a good time to mulch with well rotted manure or garden. Also, mulch and prune raspberry canes.
In the greenhouse, you can pinch out the tips of Fuchsias as they start to grow, and sow any half-hardy and tender annuals in heated areas. If you have Dahlia tubers, get them going with some heat and Begonia tubers might need potting up. If you grow veg in the greenhouse, you can sow Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Melons, Aubergines, Peppers, Celery and Celeriac now. If you have cuttings in the greenhouse pot up any that have rooted. Lastly, remember to water and ventilate carefully as the weather changes and your plants need change.
Once again a few things for you all to be getting on with, we hope this is helpful and gets you started. For any more information or help on anything don't hesitate to get in touch via thecontact page.