Garden jobs for March

by Woodthorpe Plant Shop

March is the most fickle month, sometimes throwing every kind of weather at us. That said, the garden is beginning to wake up making this one of the busiest times of year. 

Get ahead of the game with our recommended jobs for March.

In your beds, borders, and pots

  • Move or repot any herbaceous plants that need it. You can move most plants at this time of year as long as the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged. Dig carefully around the base as widely as possible to avoid cutting through too many roots. If you can't move it to its new home straight away, cover the roots with compost so they don't dry out.
  • Top up pots with fresh compost. Compost in pots tends to sink over time so now is a good moment to make sure your pots have enough in them to support your plant over the coming year. Gently remove the plant from the pot and add a layer of fresh compost to the bottom, then replant. You can also add a layer of fresh compost to the top as a mulch.
  • Be ready to protect tender plants. Though March can be very warm, even hot, there's still a very real risk of a late frost that can zap unsuspecting plants. You can unwrap tender plants like tree ferns from their winter duvets but keep some fleece to hand in case of any sudden cold snaps.
  • If you've not already, feed your soil with a mulch of home made or shop bought compost before anything gets too big. Be careful not to smother any new growth from your perennials as they start to peek above the soil.
  • Cut back dogwoods and willows to encourage fresh, vibrant stems in winter.

In your veg patch 

  • Keep weeding. Getting on top of weeds now, especially perennials like bindweed, creeping thistle and creeping buttercup, will give them less chance to run riot later in the year.

  • Mulch your beds and pots if you've not already. Use home made or shop bought compost, adding a thick layer of around 3 - 4 inches.

  • Many summer veg seeds can be sown now, but it's best to stagger them so you're not overwhelmed by seedlings in a few weeks' time. It's also your last chance to sow tomatoes, aubergines, chillies and peppers to give them enough growing time.

  • If you've no time or space to grow veg from seed, pop along to Woodthorpe Park for plug plants

Maintenance

  • Keep bird feeders clean and topped up to feed hungry new parents. Leave twigs and other pruning waste for nest building.
  • Clean your greenhouse or polytunnel before growing starts in earnest. Wash any staging or shelves inside to reduce the risk of disease.

  • Make a 'dead hedge'. Keep any branches and twigs from winter pruning and layer them between posts to make a natural barrier which supports a whole range of wildlife, helping manage pests and saving waste.  

HAPPY GARDENING

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