Jobs for March

General gardening jobs: In the greenhouse:

• Sow half-hardy annuals like Cosmos, Alyssum and French & African Marigolds and Tomatoes/ Peppers

• Once they’ve formed their two first proper leaves, prick out the Tomatoes/Peppers into small pots and Cosmos/Lobelia into large seed trays.

• Towards the end of the month sow hardy annual flowers in small pots or cell trays. They don’t need much heat to grow, so place in the coolest part of the greenhouse (lowest shelf/on the greenhouse floor).

• Assuming the weather improves … open the greenhouse door/windows on hot days and spray the floor with water to ensure a damp atmosphere that will deter whitefly. Remember to close both at night! During cold spells also use horticultural fleece to protect plants overnight.

• If you over wintered any plants in the greenhouse, as the weather improves repot them in fresh compost and trim off any dead foliage.

• Keep an eye for any pests that have over-wintered in the greenhouse.

• It is also a good time to repot houseplants, but this is best done in warm room!

In the garden:

• When the ground is dry, it is time to start cut the grass. Adjust the mower so the blades are at their highest setting. Lower them gradually over the coming weeks.

• Watch for garden pests and weeds.

• Once the soil is warmer split large perennials and Snowdrops and replant (or pot some up for friends or plant swaps).

• Again, once the soil is warmer, it is a good time to move evergreen shrubs (e.g. Hebe, Pittosporum).

• Finish pruning Hybrid Tea & Floribunda Roses and summer flowering Clematis. You can also prune Forsythias, Buddleias and Hydrangeas (Mophead and Lacecaps).

• Once the ground is warmer you can sow annual flower seeds (e.g. Cornflower. Calendula, Poppies) in prepared ground.

• Once the ground is dry and warmer you can start to tidy borders and remove perennial weeds whilst they are easier to dig out (e.g. Docks, Dandelions). If the ground is still wet try to avoid treading on it by using wooden boards.

• Once the soil starts to warm you can put down fertiliser and mulch (a mulch helps retain water and helps reduce the number of weeds).

• Plant new perennials, roses, shrubs etc as the soil warms.

Vegetable / Fruit growing

• Seed potatoes should be left in a frost free/light place (out of direct sunlight) to produce shoots (this is called chitting).

• If you haven’t already, prepare the soil for sowing seeds – you need to create a fine tilth as seeds do not like lumpy ground.

• As the soil warms you can start to sow Beetroot, Onion sets, Shallots, Swiss chard and Broad beans.

• If you have a greenhouse you can start to grow small quantities of lettuce, spring onions, cabbage, celeriac, celery, lettuces and parsley for planting out when the soil is much warmer.