Flower Garden

  • Herbaceous plants will start into growth this month. Fork a general purpose plant food around your plants as they emerge then cover the soil with a thick mulch using bark chips or a soil conditioner. Be careful that you don’t damage plants that are not yet showing.
  • Carry on pruning clematis, feed and mulch after pruning.
  • The flowers of spring bulbs will be dying off now. Don’t be tempted to cut leaves down for at least 6 weeks after flowering as this will weaken the bulbs although you can cut off the dead heads to stop them setting seed.
  • Now is the time to plant summer flowering bulbs, corms and tubers, such as gladioli, dahlias, eucomis, begonia, crocosmia, lily and nerine.
  • Annual seeds can be sown in the open garden now. Water if it becomes very dry.

Roses

  • Continue to prune large-flowered and clustered-flowered roses and then give them a feed. Shrub roses should not be pruned in the spring as you won’t get flowers. However, you can feed and mulch shrub roses now.
  • March is the most important month to spray for blackspot – spray as soon as you see the first small leaves.

Lawn

  • Grass will be starting to grow this month so you can give it the first cut of the season – make sure the blades are set high.  Carry on aerating your lawn and rake it to get out debris, dead grass and moss.
  • If moss is a problem use Evergreen Mosskill. Lawn sand with nitrogen is a traditional treatment, although many gardeners prefer to kill weeds at the same time – in this case choose Westland Feed, Weed and Mosskiller.

In the Greenhouse

  • Sow seeds for summer bedding or buy your plugs and seedling plants. Webbs own brand compost is the ideal medium to sow and plant in.
  • You can start begonia tubers and canna roots. Begonias are best started by laying the tubers in a tray of moist compost. Once the shoots show you can pot them individually.
  • Sow Tomatoes in pots – a warm windowsill will do if you don’t have a greenhouse or why not try a mini greenhouse.


Containers

  • Winter containers might be looking a bit worse for wear by now. Clean out containers ready for planting summer bedding in May. To give a quick burst of colour now look for pots of exotic ranunculus or plant some perennials to brighten things up.

Vegetable Garden

  • Plant second early Potatoes at the beginning of April and maincrop varieties at the end of the month.
  • Plant out Onion sets in rows, making sure you leave enough space between them for hoeing out the weeds.
  • Continue to sow outdoors or under cloches – leeks, broad beans, beetroot, lettuce, parsnips, peas, mange-tout and spinach can all be treated in this way.

Herb Garden

  • Basil is best sown in a warm greenhouse or warm windowsill. Sow very thinly and prick out the seedlings as soon as they are large enough to handle. Keep them in a sunny but well ventilated place.

Fruit Garden

  • Continue to plant container grown fruit trees.
  • For an early crop of strawberries bring potted plants into the greenhouse. Water well and feed – try Tomorite liquid tomato food to boost flowers and fruiting.