March

Jobs in the garden in March include: 

• Sowing vegetable seeds: now is the time to start many either in a propagator, on a window sill or in a greenhouse – check the seed packets for details.
• The last chance to plant bare rooted hedging, shrubs and trees; a far more economical way of planting particularly if you have lots to do!
• Clearing and weeding borders. Don’t think the weeds stopped growing over the mild winter! They will need to be got rid of before they flower, set seed or spread by other means.
• Cut back the dead foliage of summer and autumn flowering perennials if you haven’t already done so – plus the dead foliage of deciduous ornamental grasses.   Now is a good time to lift and divide many perennial herbaceous plants making new plants for your own garden and potting some up to give to friends or to a plant sale. Wait until the weather is warmer and the ground drier before dividing ornamental grasses as they are likely to sit and sulk and possibly die in cold wet conditions.
• Deadhead daffodils as they fade but leave the foliage to die down naturally.
• To improve the drainage of heavy water logged soil at organic matter. This can be added as a mulch around the plants as you are clearing borders and will improve the texture of the soil, its aeration and its drainage as well as increasing humus levels that will increase the fertility of the soil.