WAHGA Jobs for March

After a wet, grey December and January I hardly expected February to continue the same way. 

It has been very hard to be motivated to get into

the garden or onto the allotment but it is now or

never! 

The days are getting longer, and warmer, so make the most of any dry days to get busy! 

Dates for your diary:

• Tuesday March 17th - Green Elmbridge talk by Graham Dillamore Head Gardener Hampton Court Palace

• Saturday April 25th - WAHGA Seedling, Seed and Plant Swap Churchfields Allotments

• Friday May 15th - Save the Date - WAHGA AGM

WHAT TO SOW NOW

Wet days are perfect for indoor 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.  We will be having our seed and seedling event on April 25th so keep any spares.  Towards the end of March you can start sowing sunflowers and courgettes.

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

• Aubergine 

• Tomato

• Celeriac

• Chilli

• Cornichon

• Kale

• Broccoli

• Brussels Sprouts

  
  

If your green fingers are itching to get sowing seeds outside warm the soil first using a cloche, or even a compost bag with black side up, and try to wait until mid-March or sow in large pots in a protected area.    For quick growing produce such as spring onions, carrots etc successional planting, every few weeks, will provide vegetables through the growing season. For the plants which take longer to crop sow 2 or 3 times - 4 weeks apart. 

• Radish  

• Carrot  

• Beetroot 

• Spring onions

• Chard   

• Cabbage  

• Broccoli.   Other brassicas

• Peas,  Mange tout  

• Broad beans

  
  

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.   Watch out for water logging - the water table is high at the moment.

START OF THE GROWING SEASON

The weeds have loved this wet, warm spell.  Remove perennial weeds from your beds by easing up the roots.  Cover beds 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. Blackmoor Nurseries are recommended suppliers.

  
  

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 hydrangeas 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 - this is generally down to two buds on the flowering stems. It seems harsh but it works!  Clear dead blades from clumps of evergreen grasses and cut back ornamental deciduous grasses now.

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.

Be careful with your lawn.  Don’t follow the theoretical rules of first cuts dates, with such a wet and mild period mowing can rip up grass.  I’m just going to wait and see, and do a first, high, cut after a few days of warm dry weather.   I’ll be doing a lot of over sowing with seed as I still have many bald areas after the dry summer (and 3 dogs!)

WILDLIFE

Toads and frogs are coming out of 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.   Hedgehogs will be appearing, and if you see them out and about during the day, keep a watchful eye this is a sign that something is amiss.

It’s fairly easy to put a small section of your allotment and garden aside for wildflowers and the natural world.  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 well away from predators and out of direct sunlight.

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