March Gardening Tips from Jo

Spring is springing!

Otter gardening expert Jo provides suggestions for work you should be tackling in the garden as Spring weather begins

At this time of year there always seems to be so much to be done! Don’t be overwhelmed but take things steadily, making the most of any warmer days to get outside and do the most important tasks to help you get ahead. March gardening is always made more pleasurable by the colour and cheer of daffodils and crocuses popping up as well as the wonderful birdsong we can hear at this time of year.

Planting

On the allotment you can start planting shallots and onion sets as well as brassicas and peas. It might be an idea to hold off planting first early potatoes because of the cold snap we’re experiencing (and predictions of the return of the Beast from the East!). Leave runner beans, courgettes and cucumbers until May if planting outside.

If you’re new to growing your own vegetables and fruit you might like to try our baby plants which will give you a head start. Check instore to see what we have available.

In the greenhouse, give seedlings plenty of light. If you keep it warm at night with a heater, you can think about removing greenhouse insulation.

Now is a good time to start greenhouse grown vegetables and fruit, including tomatoes, cucumbers and melon plants. With the current rationing and scarcity of some salad products at the moment, this way you can ensure your own supply! If you don’t have a greenhouse, you can use a sunny windowsill, a great way to grow a few salad leaves, too.

Think about your summer displays and plant summer flowering bulbs. You may like to have colour themes, or plant tall bulbs at the back of your borders and shorter ones at the front. You can have lots of fun with summer flowering bulbs.

If you’ve started off your sweet peas, these can be planted outside now. Plant out any new herbaceous varieties such as delphiniums, foxgloves, lupins, geraniums and poppies but wait until early next month to plant your flowering annuals.

Dividing and tidying

Lift and divide clumps of perennials if you haven’t already, and divide snowdrops when flowering is over. You can replant these for even larger displays next year.

Tidy up grasses and perennials that were left untended for winter interest. Penstemons can look a little unruly now, so give them a good trim back.

As their flowers disappear, trim winter-flowering heathers. This will help to prevent them becoming leggy.

Freshen up your planted containers and hanging baskets from the winter, using primroses, pansies and potted spring bulbs to add a splash of colour.

Cut back cornus to maintain good stems for next year – this only needs doing every third year so make a note in your gardening diary if you have one.

Lawn and soil care

Mow the lawn on dry days, keeping the cut on a higher setting. Use a lawn treatment if the weather is mild, but don’t compost clippings for at least another eight weeks.

Lay turf early next month, ideally when the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

Start weeding and mulching – this may seem like hard work but you’ll reap the benefits later. If you have heavy clay soil, work lots of organic matter in. Good soil benefits from adding organic matter too, keeping it full of nutrients and easier to work with.

Feed your garden with a good quality slow release fertiliser such as Vitax Q4. This will help ensure your blooms will be bigger and brighter, and your crops will be bumper!

Be pest aware!

Keep an eye on pests and disease now, aphids and slugs start to become active in warmer weather. If you’re planting delphiniums and lupins these can be decimated overnight by slugs!

If you take the tips out of broad beans from your November crops this will reduce the chance of black fly/aphid infestation

Vine weevil damage will start to show on plants such as Heucheras. You can remove vine weevils at night or use biological controls to prevent future damage. Nematodes will kill any larvae in the soil and is most effective when the soil is warmed up to around 5°C or more

Water management

I’ve mentioned this several times before, but if you haven’t got one, it’s a good idea to install a water butt. This will then be ready to collect rain from April showers that you can use to water with during hose pipe bans. South West Water has already been talking about low reservoir levels, so be prepared!

In hard water areas, shrubs such as rhododendrons and camellias benefit from water collected in water butts rather than from tap water.

Watering cans can benefit from a clean out. Give them a good scrub with soapy water to get rid of any fungal residue, and rinse out well afterwards.

Most importantly, enjoy the change in the season and the warmth of Spring sunshine on your face!

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March Gardening Tips from Jo

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