March Gardening Tips

Spring is definitely in the air this month, as we look forward to sunnier days and more opportunities to enjoy the garden and start to really get stuck into gardening jobs like prepping seed beds, sowing seeds, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden.

Top Gardening Tips for March

• Protect new spring shoots from garden pests such as slugs and frosts – there’s still a risk!
• Plant early potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic – make sure you chit potatoes first! To find our more, click HERE.
• Start planning and planting your summer flowering bulbs such as dahlias, lilies and gladioli.
• Prepare your vegetable seed beds and start to propagate seeds under cover. Veg that you can start growing indoors now are: beans, summer cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, leeks, lettuce, onions to name a few.
• Continue to prune and tidy winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
• Top dress your containers with fresh compost
• Hoe and mulch weeds to keep them under control going forward
• Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown decidious hedges. For more info, click HERE
• Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
• Mow the lawn if the weather is mild enough and only if the grass is showing signs of growth. Make sure the first cut of the season is light and blades are high. Late March apply a nitrogen spring fertiliser to encourage strong growth.

Spring Into Action

Growing flowers, crops and herbs from seed is also a rewarding way to grow, and perfect if you’re gardening on a budget. Many gardening activities like sowing, potting, watering and planting bring with them the rewards of nurturing and watching plants grow and flourish. By producing wonderful displays and enjoying the fruits of your labours you’ll be satisfying an intrinsic need for creativity and achievement, both important for our mental health and wellbeing.

Start by thinking about what you want from your garden. Should it be inviting and welcoming, vibrant and fun, private and protected, or perhaps a spiritual space to meditate.