This month in your Garden - March

Spring officially begins in March, although we may feel it began earlier this year, having seen a wonderful display of snowdrops around the village accompanied, in mid February, by a wonderful display of daffodils. Hard frost remains a possibility, of course, but increasing average temperature and light levels mean that most plants really begin to stir this month.

Flower Garden

Herbaceous perennials that were not cut back in the autumn, including those left to provide winter interest, should be tidied up now. Cut the dead stems as low as possible to avoid leaving sharp, unsightly stumps, but be careful to avoid damaging any new growth.

It’s not too late to prune climbing and bush roses. Rose pruning is subject to passionate debate amongst gardeners, with some advocating a carefully planned massacre and others a quick going-over with the shears. Here are a few points I’d say are worth bearing in mind:

	To avoid leaving long snags of dead stem, always cut just above a bud or as close to the base of the plant as possible.
	Remove dead, damaged and diseased stems first, as this will help you see the healthy wood that remains to be pruned.
	Shorten stems by between half and two-thirds, aiming to produce an open, balanced shape.
	To stimulate new growth from the base, try to cut one or two branches to a bud close to the ground each year.
	Encourage climbing roses to flower more freely by training branches horizontally along the wall or other supporting structure.

 

Many other deciduous shrubs that flower in mid and late summer may be pruned this month, including Buddleja, Fuschia, Lavatera, Caryopteris and Perovskia.

Resist the temptation to mow, cut or bundle up the leaves of daffodils and other spring bulbs. If flowering has been poor apply a liquid fertilizer to help the bulbs bulk up for next year.

Lawns

Mow your lawn as soon as it shows signs of growth. Set your mower blades high and avoid mowing if frost is expected or when the ground is very wet.

Turf may be laid during mild weather. Cultivate areas to be sown with grass seed as soon as soil conditions allow, giving the ground a chance to settle before sowing next month.

Fruit and Vegetable Garden

Feed and mulch your fruit garden, using a balanced fertilizer (Vitax Q4 is excellent) and a thick layer of compost, well-rotted manure or other organic matter.

Crops that can be sown outside this month include broad beans, peas, spinach, swiss-chard, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and cauliflower. Be guided by the weather and soil conditions in your garden, delaying sowing if a cold snap is forecast or if the surface of the soil is too wet to rake into a fine, crumb-like “tilth”.

Crops that can be sown inside include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers and some salad crops.

Early and main crop potatoes can be “chitted” in a cool, bright and frost- free place. Old egg boxes or seed trays are ideal for holding the tubers, which should be arranged with the “rose end” containing the bulk of the buds uppermost. Early potatoes can be planted out from the middle of the month.

Glasshouse

Overhaul pelargoniums, fuchsias and other tender perennials overwintered inside by removing old leaves, pruning leggy stems and repotting into fresh compost. Prunings often root readily if trimmed to just below a leaf joint and inserted in a pot of damp compost.

Sow half-hardy annuals for use as container and bedding plants. Consult the seed packet for recommended germination temperatures - most need a warm 18-21 °C, which can be achieved using a heated propagator or by germinating the seeds in a warm, bright place in the house.

Hardy annuals are an easier alternative as they will usually germinate and grow successfully in a cool greenhouse or coldframe. Favourites include the elegant purple flowers of Cerinthe major “Purpurascens”, the heavily scented Sweet Pea “Matucana” and the beautiful flowers, foliage and seed pods of Nigella damascena (love-in-a-mist).

Prick out seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle. Congested seedlings quickly become drawn and leggy, and are at greatly increased risk of damping-off disease and botrytis.