March spells the start of spring and the beginning of the busy half of the growing year. There’s plenty to be getting on with over the coming weeks, and ticking off your tasks is a fantastic way to stay on top of all those important jobs in the garden.
The Herb Garden
Providing the weather conditions are improving and the ground outside isn’t too waterlogged, you should be able to sow chives and parsley outdoors towards the end of the month. Be sure to cover at night if there’s a chance of frost. You can also start planting out any shop-bought, hardy herbs such as rosemary, mint and thyme now, too.
Container growing
Top-dress your established potted plants by removing the top 5cm of soil and replacing with fresh compost for a nutritional boost.
Remember to check your tubs regularly to prevent soil from drying out.
Start early varieties of carrots in pots, ensuring that there are ample drainage holes and that containers are at least 25cm deep.
Try strawberries in hanging baskets this month – growing like this keeps them off the ground and away from hungry slugs.
Seasonal tasks The vegetable patch
Check soil temperature is warm enough. Prepare seedbeds for planting by warming the soil with cloches or sheeting, as many crops require soil to reach around 7°C in order for successful seed germination to take place.
Plant early varieties of chitted potatoes, unless we have a cold March or you have heavy soil, in which case it’ll be better to hold off until the end of the month.
Prepare for runner beans by digging troughs (around 50cm in width and 30cm deep) and filling with compost to add goodness into the ground as runner beans need rich, fertile soil. You can also get ahead by building a tent structure with canes ready to train your beans up later in the season.
Weed and mulch established asparagus beds for a successful year, and plant some more crowns now to ensure future bumper harvests, too.
Choose a sunny spot with well-drained soil to plant onion and shallot sets.
Sow a wide range of delicious crops, including broccoli, summer cabbages, leeks and Brussels sprouts in shot rows in a nursery bed – growing these on now means they’ll be ready to be transplanted in April.
Under cover
Label seeds as you sow them (even if you think you’ll be able to identify them) as this will make life easier once young seedlings appear, as they all look similar.
Allow for adequate space between plants in your greenh
