Jobs for March
With the arrival of spring and the days getting longer and warmer there are plenty of jobs to do in the garden, greenhouse and vegetable plot. Seed sowing can really starts to get underway and it’s a good time to plant roses and lift and divide perennial plants. However just be aware of the risk of frost which hopefully will have passed by the end of the month. At last we can get going on our vegetables especially sowing seeds and messing about in the potting shed or greenhouse.
FLOWER GARDEN
Sowing and Growing
March is the time for sowing hardy annual seeds under cover and half-hardy annuals in the middle of the month when the light levels are better and the nights are less cold.
Sow perennials
Pinch out tips of winter-sown sweet peas to encourage sideshoots.
Prepare areas in flowerbeds ready for direct sowing hardy annuals in later March through to April.
Pot on rooted cuttings of tender perennial plants taken last summer.
Take cuttings of perennials – basal cuttings of phlox, delphiniums and other early-sprouting perennials.
Bulbs and Tubers
Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies, gladioli, freesias, crocosmia, etc.
Lift snowdrops and aconites and divide them in the green when they are just going over.
Plant dahlia tubers in pots under cover.
Get ready to start deadheading spring bulbs as the flowers finish leaving the foliage to die back naturally to feed the bulb for next spring.
Pruning and Tidying
Cut down old growth of perennials and grasses left over winter.
If soil is workable, dig in a layer of compost or manure, and work in a slow-release fertiliser.
Lift and divide your summer-flowering perennials.
Prune shrub roses
Deadhead hydrangeas before new growth appears cutting about one third of last season's growth.
Prune forsythia as soon as they have finished flowering cutting back to strong young shoots.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Sow courgettes, leeks, peas, beetroot and cucumbers under cover.
Sow perennial vegetable seeds such as globe artichokes.
Plant asparagus crowns.
Sow broad beans direct outside.
Cover soil with plastic to dry it out, then direct sow carrots, parsnips and radishes.
Plant Early potatoes.
Plant one onion set or garlic clove per cell in a modular tray somewhere bright but cool, such as a greenhouse and grow these until the roots show at the holes in the bottom of each cell. They should be ready for planting in the garden in about a month, and will get off to a flying start from this strong root system.
Salad and Herbs
Sow salad leaves such as mizuna, salad rocket, green oak leaf lettuce.
Sow hardy herbs such as coriander and flat-leaf Parsley.
Sow dill, fennel and French sorrel under cover.
Direct sow chervil, chives and sage.
Plant up pots of mint, tarragon, thyme and rosemary.
Divide large clumps of chives.
FRUIT
Ensure that you protect your fruit blossom from late frosts by covering them with fleece.
There is still time to plant or prune fruit trees and bushes.