See this Gardening checklist of 5 important things to do for a successful garden in March. Lets get this gardening season off to a great start.
Get started with your Gardening checklist of 5 things to do for a successful garden in March
1. Preparing soil
- Weeds are just starting to rear their heads so this time of year is the perfect time to jump on them before they become a problem. You will alway find weeds, but feeling with them when they are small is so much easier than when they have taken over. Just remember your gloves for thistles or you will be pulling out prickles all night. I have a favourite set of leather gauntlet gloves. They are perfect for thorns and prickles and very hard wearing.
- Compost and mulch. This is the perfect time of year to add nutrients to the soil by adding a layer of compost or rotted down manure to the top soil.
- Cover prepared beds with black plastic or fleece to warm the soil ready for planting. This also suppresses the weeds and will make life a lot easier for you.
- Create new beds either by digging or by the no dig method.
2. Start planting seeds
- Early seeds can be sown this time of year and kept in a greenhouse or a clotch
- Planting onion starts or leeks is perfect this time of year. You could still squeeze in garlic, but really we have come to the end of that window.
- Direct plant potato seeds outside now.
- Start to sow herb seeds for growing under cover.
3. Planting fruit trees and shrubs
- Planting fruit trees and shrubs now will mean they get nicely established during this growing season.
- It is the perfect time of year for planting soft fruits like strawberries, gooseberries and raspberries so they can naturalise before the weather becomes very warm.
- Mulching rhubarb and putting down weed suppression is a great way to keep them healthy and reduce moisture loss. Also putting a bucket or a special rhubarb forcer will help produce tender stems and encourage growth.
Maintaining Gardening checklist- 5 things to do for a successful garden in March
4. Pruning
- March marks the end of the dormant period and is a great time to prune trees and shrubs with the exception of pines. For this I can’t recommended Felco 6 secateurs highly enough. They are a fantastic all round set and have a notch in the blade for cutting wire, perfect for when tying up climbers etc. They are beautifully sharp and make pruning so easy.
- Pruning roses is perfect this time of year and promotes vigorous regrowth for the upcoming season.
- There are some trees that should not be pruned before now such as birch, elm and maple as they will ooze sap our to the effect of water pressure in the moist soil. It won’t really harm them too much, but is best to wait until the 2nd week in March.
- It is also a great time to be pruning evergreen herbs like Bay also.
5. Maintenance
- Cleaning the glass on your greenhouse and cleaning pots will mean better light for your seedlings and less chance of mildew and disease.
- Install water butts for catching rainwater for watering and this will also protect your buildings from the water pooling around downpipes
- Clean and sharpen gardening tools ready for the new growing season.
I hope you will get outside in this warmer weather and enjoy the garden. Growing your own food is something special and you will love the rewards it gives.
Until next time
Happy making and happy baking
Sam x
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I hope this Gardening Checklist has been helpful. These 5 things to do in March will get you off to a flying start with a successful garden.
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