WAHGA Jobs for March

After a wet, grey February, the first few sunny days of March have been very welcome.  The days are getting noticeably longer, giving us plenty of opportunities to be out in the garden and on the allotment, but watch out for those frosty mornings!

WHAT TO SOW NOW

IN THEORY the following can be sown outside now:

• Radish  

• Carrot  

• Beetroot 

• Spring onions

• Chard   

• Cabbage  

• Broccoli.   Other brassicas

• Peas,  Mange tout  

• Broad beans

  
  

It's best to warm the soil first using a cloche, or even a compost bag with black side up, and wait until mid-March at the earliest.  For quick growing produce such as spring onions, carrots etc successional planning, every few weeks, will give vegetables through the growing season.   For the plants which take longer to crop,  sow 2 or 3 times a 4 weeks apart. 

The following can be sown indoors in a propagator, heated greenhouse, or on a warm windowsill:  

• Aubergine 

• Tomato

• Celeriac

• Chilli

• Cornichon

• Kale

• Broccoli

• Brussel Sprouts

  
  

Wet days are perfect for seed sowing and potting on.  Seedlings need to be protected until the end-April/early May so sow sparingly, unless you have a lot of space, or will be giving seedlings to friends.  Towards the end of March you can start sowing sunflowers and courgettes, but as they germinate and grow quickly, personally I’d wait until April.

Onion sets can be planted out now. Early potatoes can be planted in mid-March but be prepared to earth them up as the shoots come up to avoid frost damage.  Main crop potatoes are usually planted in April. 

IT'S RATHER TOO EARLY TO SOW

• Climbing beans

• Runner beans

• Butternut squash

  
  

START OF THE GROWING SEASON

Remove any remaining perennial weeds from your beds and cover with well rotted manure, home-made compost or other organic matter.  This will help our sandy soil retain moisture in the summer as worms will take the organic matter into the soil.   

• Asparagus plants have shallow roots so weed the beds by hand to keep them weed free.  They are also hungry feeders so be generous with the mulch!

• Chit seed potatoes in an egg carton on a windowsill to give them a head start. 

• Encourage the strong growth of chives by dividing the clumps.   Trim back sage to encourage new growth.

HARVEST

• Keep harvesting kale and purple sprouting broccoli through early spring, and then uncover it when done to give the pigeons a feast!

• Regularly pick forced rhubarb .  Be careful when mulching rhubarb and avoid the crown otherwise the stalks will suffer from mould and the crown is at risk of rotting.

  
  

FRUIT

• Protect the blossoms of early bloomers,  such as apricots and  peaches,  from frost with horticultural fleece 

• Keep the trunks of fruit trees weed free, and mulch around them with well-rotted manure or compost,  Take care not to mound mulch up around the trunk.

• Sort out strawberry beds to ensure good cropping later in the year.  

• It’s the last chance to plant soft fruit such as gooseberries and raspberries to get fruit this season.

  
  

IN THE GARDEN

Hopefully you’ll be enjoying the first of many spring flowering bulbs in your garden.   The snowdrops are still showing and crocus are in full bloom.    Many early mini-narcissus, such as tete-a-tete, are in full-bloom.

Prune roses now, and hydrangea anytime this month.  Cut buddleia back to 60cm.  Cut back herbaceous perennials and divide any large clumps where you can.  If you haven’t pruned Wisteria yet do this now to ensure flower buds develop.

March is the final month for planting bare-root trees and shrubs, but given the mild weather, order and plant as soon as possible.  Pot grown plants can be planted anytime.

Lawn care starts now with a high cut on a dry day.  After the first 2 or 3 cuts the lawn can be scarified. 

WILDLIFE

Toads and frogs are coming out from hibernation and they’ll be spawning very soon so leave any pond clearing for later in the year.  Solitary bees will be out and about on warm days, returning to their resting places at night, so try not to disturb obvious hibernating spots.  Fox cubs are born in March, so expect some hungry mothers out and about.  

It’s fairly easy to put a small section of your allotment and garden aside for wildflowers and the natural word.  Pile up any logs, leaves and pruning for insects and small mammals to shelter.   And perhaps plant a dwarf fruit tree on your allotment or something larger in your garden.  Wild flower seeds, or other annual seeds such as poppies and cornflowers can be scattered now.

Bird nesting season starts in March so check for any nesting activity before any tree, shrub or hedge pruning as birds nest in areas of thick ivy, brambles and hedges as well as trees.  Check over bird boxes for damage, fix new ones to a suitable tree or wall away from predators and out of direct sunlight.

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