Things to do in the garden in March

When it comes to things to do in the garden in March, this is the month when things will be starting to come to life.  If you’ve spent the winter tucked away inside with a cuppa, then the moment when you’ve got to wipe off those wellies and get back out there is fast approaching! Spending a few hours gardening now can pay dividends further down the line, so it’s well worth investing a bit of time so that you don’t get overwhelmed later in the year. Here’s an idea of things to do in the garden in March.

1. Terrific tidy up

Things to do in your garden in March - give it a good tidy up

Empty, wash and disinfect old plant pots ready for reuse.

First on the agenda is a good clear up so that you can see what else is happening. The winter storms will probably have brought down any remaining leaves, some twigs and branches, pine cones and more. Rake them up and either place in the garden waste bin or a compost bin if you have one. Be careful about raking leaves off borders as new bulbs may be just rearing their heads – you don’t want to decapitate them!

Get rid of anything that hasn’t made it through the winter, such as leftover bedding plants or anything that’s succumbed to frost. Don’t be too ruthless, though – many things that look a bit dejected will make a strong comeback!

Rake up any remaining dead leaves and compost them.

To check if plants are dead or just winter-y, scrape a little off the outer surface of the stem with your thumbnail. The stem should be supple and flexible and either green or white under the surface. Brittle stems with brown innards are not a good sign! If you’re unsure and it’s a small plant, you can carefully dig it up. Roots should look white and supple and fairly (but not too!) dry. Mushy roots are a sign that the plant has drowned in too much water – over-wet roots will probably smell, as well, as they start to decompose.

Prune roses, and cut any dead growth off other plants so that they go into spring as vigorously as possible.

Roses like to be pruned at this time of year, as well.

Scrub and tidy greenhouses, and clean and disinfect any plant pots that have wintered outside that you’re planning to use again this year.

2. Things to do in the garden in March: Get gorgeous grass

Depending on the weather, the first lawn mowing of the season will probably happen around the beginning of March. It will probably look a bit straggly and uneven, so a cut will go a long way to smartening it up. Don’t cut your grass too short, though, as there may still be frosts around. Rake up any leaves and debris before you mow so that you get a clean finish. This is also a good time of year to do any neatening of borders, as the ground tends to be soft enough to cut. Use a length of pegged string to give you a straight edge as a cutting guide.

3. Prep perfectly

Things to do in the garden in March - rake your beds to give bulbs a chance

Rake off beds to give new bulbs a chance.

We’re getting close to planting time, so this is a perfect opportunity to prepare your flower beds. Deadhead any early spring bulbs that have finished flowering, cut back any dead growth, remove any weeds that have made it through the winter and work in some of last year’s compost, ready for spring planting.

4. Things to do in the garden in March: Plant vibrant veg

If you have a vegetable garden, then now’s the time to plant early variety potatoes, onions and shallots. You can also prep the rest of the beds ready for the major crop planting in a few weeks’ time. Once the growing season starts in earnest you won’t be able to keep up, so this is also the time to mend any fencing or repair raised beds.

Related posts:

Things to do in the garden in February

Things to do in the garden in October

Things to do in the garden in September

All images (c) Pixabay 2022

 

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