March Calendar

By Author: Jean Vernon1
Total Articles: 31
Comment this article

Shoots of herbaceous perennials will be starting to grow vigorously as the weather warms and gradually the garden comes alive. The soil is still moist from the winter rain and is starting to warm up too, so it's a good time to plant now as it allows new plants to get their roots established before summer arrives.

March is a great time to plant containerised trees and shrubs. Don't forget that bare rooted plants that have been lifted over the winter also need to be planted now so that they are in position before they start into growth in spring.

As the season progresses your plants will start to grow vigorously. This is when they need rich levels of nutrients to support and sustain their growth. See feeding (link to feeding feature for more information).

Weeds that germinate in early spring can be quickly and easily removed by hoeing them off at ground level on a bright, dry day.

Mulch around permanent trees and shrubs to conserve the moisture that is held in the soil, this will keep weeds down too and insulate the roots from extreme cold. Use well-rotted garden compost or buy a quality garden mulch ...
... from the garden centre.

Keep a watch out for slugs and snails that may be active in sunny spells. Use your preferred method of control.

Start sowing seeds. If you don't have too much room to pot up and grow on lots of plants then delay sowing until next month, or later, you have plenty of time. Many half hardy annuals and vegetable seeds can be sown in March.

Sow annual flower seeds such as Ageratum, bedding Salvias, Tagetes, Diascia, annual Stocks, Nemesia, Nicotiana, annual Phlox and bedding Rudbeckia in pots in gentle heat in the greenhouse.

Sow Nasturtiums, Alyssum, Clarkia, sunflowers and Lupins in pots in a frost-free greenhouse or on the windowsill.

Sow lettuce, salad, Swiss chard, cabbage.

Outside sow broadbeans, beetroot, radish and parsnips into a prepared seedbed. Plant out greenhouse sown early peas and place pea netting or pea sticks along the row for them to grow up.

Keep the greenhouse well ventilated especially on sunny days. Open windows and doors in the morning of a fine day but close again mid afternoon before the temperature starts to drop.

Keep a close check on plants, seeds and seedlings in the greenhouse and keep the compost moist but not waterlogged.

If the soil is workable, sow parsnip seed. They can, depending on the season, take up to 7 weeks to germinate.

Sow outdoor tomatoes in a propagator in the greenhouse as soon as possible to get the optimum harvest before autumn sets in. Cover the seed over with Fine Vermiculite rather than the compost itself. Place the pots of seeds into a propagator for even germination. If you haven't sown any then look out for plants at the garden centre or order them from a mail order supplier.

Plant out shallots directly in the soil, space them 6in apart and 12in between rows.

Finish pruning roses and feed with a dedicated rose fertiliser. If you plants suffer from Blackspot then treat them to a rose tonic containing sulphur, as it will deter Blackspot from affecting your plants as well as make soil nutrients more available.

Tidy up summer fruiting raspberry canes, these will fruit on last year's canes, so simply remove the top six inches or so and ensure that your support wires are tidy and in good order.

Keep on top of weeding; every perennial weed removed now will save you hours of work later. Get them out before they start flowering or seeding.

To know more about greenhouses by growhouse-greenhouses visit http://growhouse-greenhouses.co.uk/greenhouses.php