March 20 may mark the start of spring but there’s plenty to be done in the garden before then. From planting flowers to pruning, chitting potatoes and preventing pests, there are a plethora of jobs to be done in March. Polhill Garden Centre have shared their essential March gardening jobs you can complete in order to get a head start for the rest of the year.
March gardening jobs to complete
Flowers
Firstly, to start off your spring maintenance, simply pick off any growing seedheads that are developing on daffodils and other spring bulbs, allowing any foliage to fall off naturally.
Now is the time to prune your roses as this is when new growth starts. Check the specific variety of roses you have if you’re unsure when to prune them.
March is also a good time to plant roses and other shrubs and climbers.
Make sure to get some ericaceous fertiliser and feed your ericaceous shrubs like rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias. Also, disperse fertiliser over flowerbeds, roses, shrubs, and hedges.
Give your borders a tidy by getting rid of any weeds and ensure that your spring flowers and any winter bedding do not seed by deadheading them.
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Fruit and vegetables
Gardeners that grow their own fruit and vegetables, can start to sow tomatoes, sweet peppers, chillies and aubergines in pots indoors if the weather is a bit cold and rainy outdoors.
You can start to chit potatoes in egg containers (or something similar) now too. Chitting is the process of forcing seed potatoes into growth before they are planted.
Once they have chitted 1-2cm you can then pop them in soil or in a pot indoors or outdoors. Make sure to plant them six inches deep and a few inches apart and cover them with soil.
When the soil starts to warm up, you can sow parsnips as they are very slow in the germinating process and need a long growing season.
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It’s almost strawberry season which means it’s time to prepare for planting. Be sure to plant strawberries in a hanging basket to ensure that slugs cannot get to them.
If you have a greenhouse or a sunny windowsill, you can start to grow celery, lettuce and parsley that can later be transferred and planted in the garden.
As the temperature starts to rise, any extra insulation in your greenhouse can be taken down to let more light in.
Make sure to ventilate greenhouses during the warmer weather.
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Garden maintenance
As the grass starts to grow again be sure to mow the lawn and give it a tidy-up.
Purchase a water feature to encourage more wildlife, and to improve your outdoor living space.
Prevent slugs with slug pellets and liquid deterrents around susceptible perennials and any other plants that you feel need some protection like new growth.
Prune out any branches that have been damaged from recent storms.
Place bug boxes and nest boxes in sheltered quiet places for insects and birds to inhabit. Put food out for birds as breeding season is on its way.
The experts at Polhill Garden Centre added: “It is getting closer and closer to spring, and we could not be more excited.
“While we are enjoying the last of winter this is a great time to witness all the new buds growing over the next month or so.
“In preparation for the warmer days coming make sure to get your March gardening jobs done.”
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