MARCH GARDEN DIARY: Spring usually arrives by mid-March and the frequent sunny days provide the opportunity for an increasing range of gardening tasks. Its time to get busy preparing seed beds, sowing seed, cutting back winter shrubs and generally tidying up around the garden. Top 10 jobs this month Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes Protect new spring shoots from slugs Plant summer-flowering bulbs Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials Top dress containers with fresh compost Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed) Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems Weeds come back in to growth - deal with them before they get out of hand Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters Open the greenhouse or conservatory doors and vents on warm days. LAWNS: Mow the grass if the weather is mild enough and the lawn shows signs of growth. Ensure the first cut of the season is light, raising the blades 0.5cm (0.25in) higher than the usual cutting height. Newly turfed areas can be mown with the blades set to the highest setting, as soon as the grass reaches 5cm (2in) in height. Turf can still be laid, provided the soil is not too wet or frozen. Work from planks, to avoid compacting the soil. Do not walk on newly laid turf, and leave it undisturbed for several weeks to allow the new roots to establish. Where lawns are to be grown from seed, prepare the ground for sowing by cultivating, levelling and then firming the soil. Doing this now will allow the soil to settle prior to sowing later in the month, or in April. In late March apply a high nitrogen spring/summer lawn fertiliser to encourage good, strong growth to help the lawn recover after the winter. Straighten lawn edges using a half-moon turf iron and a board, or use sand to mark out a curve, which can then be cut out with the iron. Sow a wildflower meadow. SOWING AND PLANTING: Hardy annuals can be sown in pots or modules to provide colour in the garden. In mild areas you can sow directly outside. Marking out irregularly shaped seedbeds and broadcasting drifts of different seed gives a more natural look. Sweet peas can be sown outside this month. Place autumn-sown sweet peas in a sunny position, perhaps on a high shelf in the greenhouse that gets plenty of light. Sow summer bedding plants in a heated propagator or under glass. Early spring is an ideal time to plant herbaceous perennials, including Geranium, Astrantia and Oriental poppies. Plant summer-flowering bulbs. Prepare the soil first, to ensure that drainage is sufficient to prevent the bulbs rotting. Anemone coronaria tubers need particularly well-drained soils. Plan a continuous crop of cut flowers for this summer. Perennials such as Delphinium and annuals can be grown to produce a useful and beautiful display. When space becomes available in the greenhouse, pot up cuttings of tender perennials taken last summer and at the beginning of this year. Bulk up plant numbers by taking more cuttings from the largest of the new plants. Indoor forced bulbs that were in the house for winter displays, but which have now finished flowering, can now be planted into the garden, taking care not to disturb the roots. - Thanks to the RHS Website for this garden update.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:51:35 +0000
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