Some say the 1st of February is the beginning on Spring, other say it’s the 1st of March. Which ever the case, you never feel like you're out of Winter until the middle of March. This is a month of real change. There is a saying that March is ‘In like a lion, out like a lamb’. This is the month that growth begins and a time for gardeners to get sowing in the vegetable gardens. March truly is when all the fun begins.

Plants of the Month

(From Left to Right) Primula Vulgaris, Hawthorn Coming into Leaf, Forsythia, Daffodils & Vinca or Periwinkle

Things to Consider

• Thankfully March sees the end of the frost and frozen weather. Soil temperatures are on the rise and once soil reaches about 6 degrees celsius, grass growth begins, lawnmowers will be fired up again and you can’t beat the smell of cut grass and a sunny Spring afternoon.
• Another positive that Spring has to offer is bud brake on many of your native and garden trees. Two to look out for is the Ash and the Oak as this can help determine the coming weather; if Oak comes before the Ash we’re in for a splash (of rain), if Ash comes before Oak then we’re in for a soak (of even more rain!!)

Things to Do

In the Fruit & Veg Garden

1. The start of the month is the last chance to prune apple trees and blackcurrants, blueberries, & raspberries
2. Also need to plant garlic early in the month
3. Later, start sowing seeds directly out into drills, you can sow root crops such as parsnips, carrots, beet, radish and turnips directly into the soil
4. Prepare drills and sow early potatoes such as Sharpes Express or Collen. Again, ensure to add a good helping of farmyard manure and water in well
5. It’s always best to wait until you are sure frost has passed. People try to sow vegetables on St. Patrick’s weekend every year, but if conditions don’t suit it is better to leave it for a week or so. You will find that the vegetables will soon catch up in finer weather
6. Plant out brassicas & onion transplants once large enough to handle. You can also plant onion sets
7. Cover rhubarb for forcing

In the Greenhouse

1. You can still start your tomato seeds at the start of the month
2. Open greenhouse door on sunny days to ventilate
3. Increase watering as the month goes by
4. Continue to sow salads such as lettuce, you can also sow strawberry runners, french beans & peas, cucumbers, peppers and chillies
5. Begin feeding seedlings once 4 weeks old. Feed with a general liquid feed

Plant Care

1. The beginning of the month is the last chance to transplant trees and shrubs and care must be taken when doing so
2. Last chance to hard prune plants including Salix (Willow), Cornus (Dogwood), Budelhia (Butterfly Bush) and Sambucus (Elder)
3. Water in recently planted trees and shrubs & ensure trees are secure and well rooted in the ground
4. Begin feeding your garden plants; a general feed, high in nitrogen is suitable for this time of year
5. Start feeding roses with rose food or potassium based fertliser

 
Lawn Care

1. The soil is warm and the grass is growing. Begin the year with a light cut – just removing the top of the grass to give your lawn a neat appearance
2. Gradually reduce the height of your cut during the month of March until you have reached your desired height
3. You should only need to cut your grass twice over the month
4. This is a good time to treat your lawn for moss. Use sulphate of iron to kill moss, then rake out using a spring rake or scarifier
5. If your lawn is looking old you can treat it with a lawn weed, feed and mosskiller. Start applying now and continue through the month
6. This is a good month for preparing and sowing new lawns

 
In the Garden, Beds & Borders

1. The start of the month is the last chance to plant bare root hedging, trees & shrubs
2. Continue to sow summer flowering bulbs & roots such as Echinacea, Agapanthus, Dahlias, Lilies & more
3. Plant summer bedding & ‘filler’ planting in borders to add seasonal colour
4. Watch out for slug damage on young herbaceous plants

General Maintenance

• It's important to stay on top of weeds in March otherwise the task can get away on you. Now is a good time to lay weed membrane and now is the time to begin weeding if you want to stay on top of your weeds
• Tidy lawn & border edges