Gardening tips for March
March greets us with joyful, yellow daffodils, slightly warmer weather, and brighter days that can be spent in our outdoor spaces. March isn’t just the start of a new month; it’s the beginning of a new season -- and spring is the perfect time to get out into the garden.
Now is the time to plant your summer flowering bulbs, prepare your lawn for the coming warmer months, and to begin cultivating your fruit and veg patch.
Keeping on top of your gardening in early spring helps make the rest of the year a breeze. We’ve put together some expert tips to help you get your garden into shape, just in time for spring.
Our gardening expert's top tip:
If the weather is still chilly where you are, you’ll need to wait until it warms up to start planting and sowing more tender plants outdoors. You may not be able to do some of the jobs until later in the month. In the meantime, remember to cover your tender outdoor plants with horticultural fleeces for protection against frost and snow.
What can I do in my garden in March?
Firstly – if you’ve not spent much time in your garden over winter, simply enjoy the moment of getting back into your outdoor space and connecting with nature again!
This month we’re all about planting, but there’s plenty to do to prepare your lawn, beds, and borders for the season.
If the weather is mild enough and the lawn is showing signs of growth, give it the first light cut of the season, keeping blades on their highest setting – but be sure any chances of frost have passed, first.
Straighten lawn edges with an edging iron.
Later in the month when it’s warmer, apply a spring/summer lawn feed high in nitrogen to established lawns.
Lightly trim wintering flower heathers that have started to fade with snips or shears to help keep them tidy and compact.
Hoe borders to remove weeds, then apply a good layer of mulch over the surface to lock in moisture and help keep weeds at bay.
Cut back any leftover deciduous grasses to make way for striking new foliage.
Prune summer flowering shrubs such as Buddleia, Laverta, and hardy Fuchsias to allow for fresh new growth bearing this year’s flowers.
Finish pruning roses before the new season’s buds develop too much. Top dress with rose food and mulch.
Continue deadheading spring flowers and any remaining winter bedding.
Protect any new spring shoots from slugs.
Flowers to plant this month
Summer flowering bulbs are ready to be planted this month – they're a great way to grow your own cut flowers this summer.
You can grow ever-popular floral favourites such as Gladiolus, Lilies Ranunculi, Dahlias, and Begonias, providing weeks of colour outdoors for cutting and displaying indoors.
Summer bulbs should be started indoors in pots to plant out after the risk of frost has passed, which can be as late as May.
Read our full guide on how to plant summer flowering bulbs.
You can also plant the following seeds:
Wildflower mixes
Sweet peas
Hardy annuals such as Nigella, Centaurea, or Calendula
In pots and containers:
If you weren’t able to last month, freshen up your pots and hanging baskets with early season flowers like Primroses, Violas, and Pansies.
Plant potted summer flowering bulbs, such as the glorious Lily, in any gaps in your garden that could do with a pop of colour.
Plant Pieris in a sheltered spot for some early flowering. They have fiery red leaves, and the contrasting white flowers are attractive to bees, who will still be looking for some extra help as winter ends.
Plant new herbaceous perennials in well-prepared borders. If planted now, they will establish quickly to make a great display this summer.
Hardy annuals can be sown in gaps where they are intended to flower.
What fruit and veg can I grow in March?
It's not too late to add a variety of fruit to your produce patch this month, and some early season vegetables too once the risk of frost has passed and the soil begins to warm. You’re still able to propagate seeds indoors and grow young herbs and plants in containers. If you have any food growing outside, be sure to protect it with cloche or fleece.
Plant soft fruit such as blackcurrants and blueberries. There are various ranges available in-store depending on the size, taste, and look you’re aiming for.
Mulch raspberry canes and other fruit bushes you planted last month with Farmyard Manure or Blooming Amazing.
Plant rhubarb, remembering to allow enough room for them to develop to their full size. Add a thick layer of mulch around these new plants to help retain moisture and keep weeds at bay.
Protect apricot, peach, and nectarine blossoms from frost with frost protection fleece.
Prepare your vegetable beds for planting by removing weeds and mulching with your own garden compost. This will help make a fine topsoil layer for easier seed sowing.
If weather and soil conditions allow plant shallots, onions, and the much-anticipated early seed potatoes. If you chitted your potatoes last month, get ready for an early crop in the coming months. If you haven’t already done so, chit your second early and maincrop potatoes to prepare them for planting in the coming months. We have a handy guide here on growing seed potatoes.
If space allows, consider planting an asparagus bed. They’re one of the most prized of all vegetables, and once established, they reward you with a spring bounty of delicious spears.
Sow tomato seeds in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill for a fun and rewarding spring activity, then enjoy your freshly grown tomatoes all summer long.
You can also sow the following fruit and veg seeds this month either indoors or outdoors, depending on the variety:
Sweet peppers
Chillies
Strawberries
Broad beans
Carrots
Beetroot
Lettuce
Radish
Spinach
Peas
Summer Cabbage
Celery
We would love to see what you get up to in the garden this March, take a picture and tag us on socials with @dobbiesgardencentres for your chance to be featured on our social media channels.