Gardening Advice and Helpful Tips
Your gardening advice for March.
Donna Turner
Plant Area Supervisor
March is always an exciting month in the garden. Our plant area supervisor Donna Turner shares her top ten tips to get ahead.
Will Clark
Plant Area Manager
It’s time to get ahead of the game with Will Clark’s top gardening tips for February.
1. Weather warning
First things first. Remember the weather is completely unpredictable in March. It might be the first month of spring but that doesn’t mean the weather won’t shock us. We’ve all been caught out so always keep a close eye on the forecast and get the fleece out if temperatures are predicted to dip.
2. Revive roses
Prune roses now to encourage strong new growth come summer. The simple approach is to cut back anything that is dead, damaged and diseased.
3. All set
By mid-March if the frosts have passed and the soil feels warm, you can start planting out onion sets. Plant 10-15cm apart in well-prepared, moisture-retentive, fertile soil in full sun. You can also sow seeds under cover such as cabbage, lettuce, celery, beetroot and tomatoes. Do not sow any seeds outside if the ground is cold to touch.
4. Dig in
March is a good time to get your borders ready for all the bee-friendly perennials you’ll be planting from May onwards. If you haven’t done it already make sure you refresh your soil with topsoil and manure. Dig it well in and it will make a big difference when you start planting.
5. Save water
Waterwise gardening is a growing trend we can all get behind. Water butts are the simplest way to collect rainwater from sheds, greenhouses, and rooftops. Rainwater is better for plants, especially ericaceous plants such as Azaleas, Camellias, and Rhododendrons.
6. Spring colour
Even if March is chilly, you can find a range of spring flowering plants to brighten up the garden. Bulbs such as Daffodils are appearing all around. Colourful Erysimum are classic perennials for spring and the perfect partner for tulips. If you want to add something new, Fritillaria meleagris, commonly know as “Snakes Head” is an easy to grow, bulbous perennial which seems happy in sun or shade.
7. Great divide
Herbaceous plants can be divided this month. Dig the whole plant up and discard the centre section to the compost heap, replanting the more vigorous outside parts of the plants in groups which will grow together to make one large plant. It is worth doing this every three to five years.
8. First cut
March is the time to start cutting the lawn again. Do this on a dry day when the ground is firm underneath. Set your mower to its highest cut before you begin because the grass will be quite tall by now. Be sure to remove the clippings so that the turf can dry out afterwards.
9. Sharp hedges
Now is a good time to plant a new hedge, particularly a mixed native or hawthorn hedge. On heavy soils, trials have proven that plants establish better from planting now than they do in autumn or winter, when the roots can sit and sulk in the cold.
10. Hit refresh
Revitalise planted pots by scraping out the top layer of old compost to a depth of 5-7.5cm and adding the same amount of fresh. Fork it into the old compost surface to give it a new lease of life.
Feature plant: Magnolia Soulangeana
A beautiful spring flowering shrub, with large green leaves that start to appear in spring along with rose pink flowers shaped like a Tulip. Ideal for smaller gardens.
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Plant of the Week
Ruth McNamee
Greenhouse Senior
October on the Veg Plot...
October is a great month to get ahead in the veg patch, writes Ruth McNamee.
Choose a sunny sheltered spot to sow broad beans. The variety Aquadulce Claudia does well from autumn sowing. Sow a double row with seeds 20cm apart. These plants should germinate, stand over winter and quickly establish when the weather warms. The crop can be enjoyed a couple of weeks earlier than spring sown seeds.
You can start to plant out garlic this month 15cm apart in rows 30cm apart. This can be left to next month if preferred. And there is still time to plant out overwintering onions. Make a shallow drill and place the sets pointy end up 15cms apart in rows 30cms apart. Onions are ready to harvest early next summer. Try onion and garlic in big pots and keep in a sheltered spot for the best results.
October is a great month to get your permanent planting done. It’s a good time to establish your fruit and asparagus beds while the soil is still warm from the summer heat. Rhubarb and asparagus crowns will now be available in the garden centre. Prepare the beds by removing all weeds. These crops will be in these beds for many years so it helps to give them a good start.
May is the month where strawberries flower so mulch plants with straw.
Prune early flowering shrubs such as the Forsynthia and Weigela.
Direct sow basil next to tomato seedlings to help draw white fly away.
Veg seeds that can be sown outdoors include courgette, beetroot and sprouts.
Lift and divide your spring bulbs and plant where you want for next year.
Check all foliage for lily beetle and greenfly and dispose of any found.
Gardening Jobs for January
Buy seeds to be sown in January or February.
Buy seed potatoes, onion sets and garlic.
Appraise the garden for form and structure, and plan alterations and additions.
Plant window boxes and containers for seasonal colour.
Protect vulnerable plants from frost and wind damage.
Firm in any autumn-planted shrubs and border plants lifted by frost.
Knock snow off branches, especially on conifers and hedges, if they are bending under the weight.
Check stakes and ties on newly planted trees.
Remember the birds in the garden and put out food for them, especially when it’s frosty.
