Gardening in March: The Start of the Growing Season

The longer daylight hours, warmer temperatures and brighter sunshine of March traditionally marks the beginning of the growing season for gardeners. Gardening in March is all about stimulating new growth, enriching the soil, reviving tired lawns and enjoying the emergence of green stems and colourful blooms. It’s time to immerse yourself in gardening jobs such as lawn care, mulching, seed sowing and brightening up hard landscaping features. And to top it all off, enjoying that all-important first al-fresco cuppa of the year.

What to Do in the Garden in March

March gardening jobs will be dictated somewhat by the weather. That 17th Century proverb “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb” reminds us that although spring is in the air, It’s not too late in the year for cold winds, a sharp frost or for waterlogged soils. Try to be flexible when scheduling gardening jobs for March - it’s always best to be governed by the conditions in your garden rather than by the date on your calendar.

• Have a general tidy-up, sweep paths and patios, clean tools, service the lawn mower and remove spent foliage from last season.
• Prepare veg beds for planting by weeding, relieving compaction and digging in nutritious compost or well-rotted manure.
• Ensure that irrigation systems are working well.
• Clean greenhouses inside and out to maximise light.
• Turn compost heaps to stimulate microbial activity.
• Wash and disinfect seed trays and pots - stock up on new ones from the garden centre if needs be.
• Buy seed sowing compost and appropriate feeds for lawns, houseplants, beds and borders.

Flowers and Borders

The environmentally conscious gardener will have left spent seedheads and foliage in situ throughout winter to provide wildlife habitat. One of the big gardening jobs for March is to tidy them all away so that new stems and leaves can be seen and celebrated. Leave the dried cuttings in a heap in a discreet part of the garden for a few days so that any overwintering creatures can make their escape, or add them to the compost heap.

With the borders looking fresher (and temporarily barer) now is a good time to feed the soil and apply mulch to keep weeds under control. If your planting scheme includes hardy annuals, these can be sown direct from the middle of march onwards - weather permitting of course.

Spring bulbs will be emerging and starting to put on a spectacular display. If you’ve spotted any unloved looking gaps in your garden, potted spring bulbs from the garden centre can be positioned in borders to bring a pop of colour. Once the flowers have finished, move the pots and plant the bulbs directly into the soil.

Summer flowering bulbs such as lillies, gladioli and agapanthus can be planted outdoors now. Tender tubers such as dahlias and begonias can be started off in a greenhouse in March but be prepared to protect them from frost if needs be.

Fruit and Vegetables in March

The productive garden is a busy place in March. If you plan to grow soft fruits such as blackcurrants, raspberries and blueberries, the bushes need to be planted as soon as possible so that they can get established. Remember that blueberries prefer acidic soil, therefore it’s usually best to grow them in large containers.

Broad beans can be sown outdoors in march, they mature quickly and you can be confident of having something to pick by June.

Planting potatoes in March is like planting hope. Nothing beats the taste of freshly harvested salad potatoes! Choose a ‘first early’ variety such as ‘Swift”, ‘Rocket’ or ‘Casablanca’. Chit them indoors before planting them into 10cm deep trenches in the garden. You may also like to protect them from frost with a layer of horticultural fleece. These beauties can also be planted in potato bags in the greenhouse or polytunnel, thus freeing up garden space for other crops.

If you grow onions or shallots, plant sets in the early part of March. Most are reliably frost-hardy and will be ready to harvest by mid summer.

Other vegetables to sow outdoors in March include beetroots, carrots, parsnips, spinach, kale and peas. Salad leaves, Tomatoes, peppers, aubergines and cucumbers can be sown in pots in the greenhouse or indoors.

Lawns and Hedges

March is definitely the start of the lawn care year. March lawn care includes aeration, scarification, over-seeding and feeding your lawn. Weather permitting, it’s OK to do the first lawn cut. Keep the blades high and remember the 1/3 rule - in other words never reduce the length of the lawn by more than one third.

Many people choose to hire a lawn care professional to carry out the ‘big’ renovations such as scarifying to remove moss and aerating to relieve soil compaction. However, if you’re feeling energetic, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t undertake those jobs yourself.

Now is a great time to plant new hedges. And if your existing hedges need trimming, please do so in early march - before the birds start looking for nesting spots.

Trees and Shrubs

It’s not quite too late to plant bare root trees, shrubs and roses in March in fact, you may be able to pick up a bargain as suppliers reduce prices to clear their stock.

March is a great month to refresh beds and borders with container grown trees and shrubs. Now that the soil is warming, they will establish quickly. Adding mycorrhizal fungi to the soil around the roots will get your new trees and shrubs off to a good start. Ask at your local garden centre when you buy your plants, most of them will have a good selection in stock.

If you didn’t manage to do it in winter, pruning roses in March will stimulate flower production. Start by removing dead or diseased growth and any stems that are criss-crossing each other. Next reduce the length of stems, always cutting just above a bud. Climbing or rambling roses should be securely tied to supports.

Greenhouse, Indoor and Container Gardening in March

Gardening jobs in March are definitely not confined to the great outdoors. There is plenty to do indoors too.

Houseplants can be fed, repotted and generally tidied up. Start to increase their watering as growth speeds up, but be careful not to overwater.

In the greenhouse, you can start sowing tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Follow the instructions on the seed packet and be sure to protect the young plants from the cold if the weather forecast predicts frost.

Pot up dahlia and begonia tubers for a vibrant summer floral display. These tender beauties will need to be in the greenhouse until the threat of frost has passed. If your stored tubers feel spongy or look mouldy, you’ll find plenty of replacements available in your local garden centre.

Containers on the patio will appreciate a refresh too. Remove spent foliage, Scrape off the top layer of growing medium and replace it with fresh, nutritious compost. If needs be, re-pot the plants to give them a larger root run. A nice feed with a slow release fertiliser will ensure that the plants get off to a good start this season.

Seasonal Planting Ideas for March

The world is your oyster when it comes to planting in March. Try to think ahead to summer, autumn and winter displays as well as adding some of the seasonal beauties that look so fabulous in spring.

Hardy outdoor herbs are ripe for planting this month. Lavender, rosemary, thyme, and sage are all culinary favourites and as well as being delicious, will support pollinators too. Grow mint in containers - it can be invasive if planted directly into your soil. Seeds of parsley and chives can be sown outside in March, but tender herbs such as coriander and basil will need to be started off indoors.

For lower maintenance and a magnificent display of blooms, why not sow a patch of annual wildflowers? Cornflowers, corn chamomile, corn marigolds are incredibly beneficial to insects and certainly brighten up the garden.

Quick Checklist for Gardening in March

A quick reminder of those all-important march gardening tasks…

• Sow hardy annuals and selected vegetables outdoors
• Plant onion sets and first early potatoes
• Give lawns their first cut and apply spring-summer lawn feed
• Prune roses and mulch beds and borders
• Refresh containers
• Sow half hardy flowers and vegetables under glass
• Create wildlife friendly features
• Sweep and wash paths and patios

Frequently Asked Questions about Gardening in March