Gardening Jobs: March

Flowers

• Pick off any developing seedheads on daffodils and other spring bulbs, but leave the foliage to die back naturally
• Finish pruning roses early in the month
• Cut dogwoods, willows, cotinus and paulownia right down to the base to promote vigorous new growth
• Tidy up alpines as they start to flower, removing dead foliage, then mulch with grit to keep the foliage off damp soil
• Plant faded forced bulbs out in the garden for blooms next year
• Plant lilies and other summer-flowering bulbs in pots and borders.
• Feed ericaceous shrubs, such as rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and pieris, with an ericaceous fertiliser
• Tidy up borders, removing established and newly-germinating weeds.
• Mulch borders generously with garden compost
• Plant new roses and other shrubs and climbers
• Sow wildflower seeds in trays or modules, to produce plants for your own mini-meadow
• Check tender new shoots for aphids, and remove before infestations get out of hand
• Continue deadheading spring flowers and any remaining winter bedding so they don’t set seed

Fruit and veg

• Avoid carrot root fly by sowing an early crop of carrots under cloches or fleece
• Sow tomatoes, chillies, sweet peppers and aubergines in pots indoors
• Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers, at a depth of 10-15cm, spaced about 30cm apart
• Buy young herbs to plant in containers near your back door, for handy pickings
• Plant onion and shallot sets, spacing them 10-15cm apart
• Make the first outdoor sowings of hardy veg, such as spinach, covering with cloches or fleece
• Plant early potatoes in trenches on the veg plot, or in large tubs if space is limited.
• Sow parsnips as soon as the soil starts to warm up, as they’re slow to germinate and need a long growing season
• Plant a fig tree in a large container to restrict its roots, which encourages fruiting and limits its overall size
• Feed cabbages and other brassicas with nitrogen-rich fertiliser, such as pelleted chicken manure
• Plant bare-root asparagus crowns in well-drained soil or raised beds, in an open, sunny spot
• Start hoeing veg beds as soon as the weather starts to warm up, as weeds will germinate quickly
• Plant strawberries in a hanging basket to keep the fruits away from slugs
• Give blackcurrant bushes a high-nitrogen feed

House plants

• Water your house plants more regularly as the temperatures warm, check the soil before watering.
• Maximise the amount of light your house plants receive by moving to brighter spots, or choose house plants that will grow in shadier spots
• Some house plants, like snake plants, are particularly prone to collecting dust on their leaves. So be sure to give these a wipe regularly
• Try and keep house plants away from temperature fluctuations caused by draughts or central heating
• Check your house plants for pests like aphids, scale insect, thrips and mealybugs

Greenhouse

• Get crops off to a good start indoors to transplant into the garden later, such as celeriac, celery, lettuces and parsley
• Take down bubble insulation in the greenhouse once temperatures start to rise, to let in more light
• Sow a selection of vibrant annual climbers, such as Spanish flag (Ipomoea lobata) and black-eyed Susan (Thunbergia alata ‘Arizona Glow’)
• Buy good value young bedding plants for growing on to a larger size under glass, or sow your own in a heated propagator
• Sow dwarf French beans in a large pot for an early indoor crop in June
• Plant prepared freesia bulbs in pots of rich, loam-based compost, for fragrant flowers indoors this summer
• Pot up overwintering cannas into fresh compost, water in, then place in a warm spot to spur them into growth
• Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill
• Take cuttings from dahlia tubers planted last month to raise new plants
• Protect greenhouse sowings of peas, mangetouts and sweet peas from hungry mice
• Be vigilant for greenhouse and houseplant pests, such as mealy bugs, and treat straight away
• Open greenhouse vents on sunny days to prevent humidity building up.
• Take basal cuttings from perennials, such as delphiniums and lupins, to root in a pot indoors

Garden maintenance

• Build or buy a new compost bin, ready to recycle the coming season’s garden waste
• Dig out a new pond, or install a water feature, to attract more wildlife
• Put slug barrier products around the new shoots of hostas and other susceptible perennials.
• Replant pots of bulbs from indoors into borders, once the display is over, then water in well and apply liquid feed
• Check that tree ties aren’t too tight and that stakes are still firmly anchored in the ground
• Prune out any wind-damaged branches on trees and shrubs
• Fork up emerging shoots of perennial weeds, such as ground elder, removing every bit of root
• Place bug boxes or bundles of hollow stems in sheltered corners, where insects can lay their eggs.
• Keep putting out food for garden birds, as the breeding season gets underway
• Chop down winter-grown green manure and dig into the soil, to get the veg plot ready for sowing
• Cut back winter-flowering jasmine to keep it within bounds and encourage flowers next year

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