Gardening Month by Month - March

MARCH GARDENING

Spring will now be starting to show with the temperature increasing ever so slightly. However, watch out this month and getting started outside can be quickly set back with the onset of a last winter flurry or two. Make the most of the good days though and get those gardening plans into action! March is the first really busy months.

Although you'll be busy, remember to admire and appreciate the flowering bulbs.

The main tasks and priorities this month are:

Now is the time to move any shrubs and trees. The ground should now be workable but remember to do it before buds have broken.

Mulch can be removed but do it slowly over a period of days to let the plants acclimatise slowly. Leave this for another few weeks if you think that it's still too cold.

The roses will require their first feed now.

The local garden centre or seed catalogue should now have provided you with an array of seeds. Summer flowers and and vegetables will now start to be sowed in the greenhouse but remember that it's still not too late for frost so a little heat won't be out of order.

Perennial cutting can now be taken. A little dab into some rooting powder will help encourage root growth.

Summer flowering bulbs and tubers will now be planted. Doing this on a regular basis will ensure continued blooms throughout the summer months.

Dig manure into the vegetable plot now and the addition of some compost or peat will assist in producing good soil for your plants.

If weeds are breaking through the ground start to pick them out before they get a grip. It's much easier to do a little weeding often than leaving it until its a mammoth task. Unfortunately, this is a task that will require to be done often for the coming months. There's no getting away from it but catching the weeds early will make life much, much easier.

Turn your compost heap if you have one and possible start adding a bacterial additive to speed up decomposing. If you don't have one, then why not? It's a great way of providing some cheap fertiliser for the garden whilst also helping to reduce waste making it very environmentally friendly.