March Gardening
Many spring bulbs will flower this month, dead-head regularly but allow foliage to die down naturally to build up food reserves for next year.
It is time to divide overgrown clumps of herbaceous perennials- the easiest way is with two forks back to back. Remove any grass or weeds before re-planting. Still too many? Don't discard, offer to a friend
Check your mower is ready to use when the grass is 2"-3" (4-6cms.) set blades higher than usual for the first cut. Re-seeding can usually be left until April.
Cornus (dogwood) can be pruned to 12". New fruit trees & roses can still be planted. Use up old compost, start a new compost heap.
Plant "Early" varieties of potato. Half hardy seeds will soon germinate on a window-sill if you haven`t a greenhouse. Primulas will give instant colour in pots, borders or beds but remember they are always expensive just before Mothering Sunday March 14th.
MARCH IS ,TRADITIONALLY, THE MONTH TO START DIGGING!
HAVE YOU CUT DOWN YOUR WINTER JASMINE? BRING A FEW PIECES OF FORSYTHIA INDOORS, THEY WILL BE IN FLOWER IN A FEW DAYS FOR AN EARLY BREATH OF SPRING
SPLIT UP CLUMPS OF SNOWDROPS WHILST THEY ARE STILL "IN THE GREEN".
LOOK OUT FOR SLUGS ESP. AROUND DELPHINIUMS,(A FEW SLUG PELLETS UNDER A GRAPEFRUIT OR ORANGE SKIN WILL ATTRACT SLUGS YET STILL PREVENT BIRDS FROM FINDING THEM. HARDY ANNUALS CAN BE SOWN THIS MONTH & MOST HALF-HARDY SEEDS - IF YOU CAN KEEP THEM FREE FROM FROST.
DON`T BE TEMPTED TO BUY PLUG PLANTS WHICH ARE AVAILABLE NOW. LET THE GARDEN CENTRES LOOK AFTER THEM UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH.