Gardening tips for march

The start of spring sees an end to the frosty mornings but it's essential to ensure the cold snap has ended before planting fruit & vegetables in the garden.

Things to do

Fruit & Vegetables

1. Get pruning - this is your last chance to prune your fruit trees & bushes before they start to bud e.g. apple trees, raspberry & blackcurrant bushes.
2. Once the risk of frost has passed, you can start sowing seeds directly into drills (v-shaped trench) in the ground e.g. carrots, radish, beetroot & turnip.
3. Plant early potatoes with a good helping of manure & plenty of water.
4. Growing from seeds, you can plant out brassicas & onion transplants once large enough to handle. You can also plant onion sets (small onions).
5. Cover rhubarb buds for forcing - a method of getting paler stems & quicker grow time.

Position your greenhouse south-facing so it receives as much sun all day as possible. This will help your seeds to germinate in spring.

In the Greenhouse

1. You can still start your tomato seeds the second week of March. Tomato seeds will take between 8-10 weeks in your greenhouse before they can be moved outdoors. Remember to cover to protect from frost.
2. Although greenhouses are great at creating a warmer environment for growing, ventilation is essential on hot sunny days so make sure you open the door to allow air to circulate.
3. As the weather improves you can start to increase the amount of watering.
4. Sow lettuce, french beans, peas, cucumbers, peppers & chillies.
5. Once the seedlings are 4 weeks old you can begin nourishing them with a general liquid feed.

Lawn Care

1. As the temperatures increase the grass will begin to grow. Start by cutting on a high setting removing only the top layer of grass.
2. You can then start to gradually reduce the height of your lawn on subsequent cuts in March, until you've reached your preferred height. Note: You should only have to cut your lawn twice in March.
3. Moss is the enemy of every lawn and now is the time to do something about it. Treat your lawns using sulphate of iron to kill moss & then simply rake away.
4. Give your lawn a helping hand this month with lawn feed to promote growth, condition & kill weeds. Apply now and continue treating through the month following product guidelines.
5. If your lawn is in need of some repair, or you're planning on sowing a new lawn now is the time to start. Lawn seed spreaders can be a useful tool for accurate application of seed.

Beds, Borders & General Maintenance

1. The start of March is the last chance for planting bare root hedges, trees & shrubs.
2. Sow your flower beds with summer flowering bulbs & roots.
3. Add some seasonal colour by planting summer flower beds & borders now.
4. Be on the look out for any pest or slug damage on young herbaceous plants & treat immediately.

General Maintenance

1. March is when everything including weeds begin to grow. Keep on top of your weeds by laying weed membrane & spraying weed killer.
2. Once your lawn is cut now is the time to tidy up your border edges.