With longer days on the horizon, it’s time to sow, plant, prune, and mulch – but Pete Harcom says don’t be fooled, frosty nights aren’t over yet!
The clocks will go forward on Sunday 30th March … spring is finally in the air, but be careful, it can be late April or even May before night time frosts are finally over. If the weather allows and the soil is not frozen, this could be a good time to prepare a flower bed or even create a new one. Make sure to incorporate plenty of good compost if the soil is in any way impoverished. Consider the siting of the bed when you plan the plants (how much light will they get here?). Also consider the edge of the border – does it need some defined edging?
Once the border is prepared, annual flowers can be sown from March onwards: just rake the soil to a fine tilth on a dry day. Watch the weather forecasts for any frosty nights, and protect it if necessary with cloches or horticultural fleece.
It’s often best to be patient and wait until late March before you purchase any tender plants like fuchsias and pelargoniums unless you have some good frost protection ready for them like cloches or a cold greenhouse.
Keep an eye on weeds – take them out now with a hoe or similar, before they sart to spread. Cover all bare soil patches and around shrubs with a good thick layer of mulch or garden compost. Also take the opportunity to top up your potted plants with a layer of mulch or compost.
March is your last chance to plant bare rooted trees and shrubs. Prune any bush and climbing roses quite hard, back to strong stems, with a sloping cut, no more than 5mm away from a bud.
Slug off
Now’s the time to plant your summer-flowering bulbs such as lilies and gladioli. If you’re tempted by some anemone coronaria tubers, note that they need particularly well-drained soil, so ensure grit is added to the soil when you plant them to ensure that drainage is good and to avoid water logging.
Divide your hostas now, before they come into leaf, and also any hellebores and polyanthus-type primulas after they finish flowering.
Keep deadheading the winter-flowering pansies – they will carry on into the spring and even to early summer, if attended to frequently. Also deadhead your narcissus (daffodils) as they fade, but leave the foliage alone to die down naturally.
Check whether any of your pots need watering – even at this time of year, they can dry out, especially those that are sheltered by eaves or balconies, as they can miss out on any rainfall.
Hedgehogs will be emerging from hibernation around now: do remember that slug pellets are poisonous for hedgehogs, and frogs too, as they eat the snails and slugs that have been killed by the slug pellets.
Lastly, if you can, clean up the inside of any bird nest boxes early this month, before they move in!
