March
March brings breezes, loud and shrill, To stir the dancing daffodil.
— Sara Coleridge, The Garden Year (1834)
Spring is beginning to stir
March is when the garden really begins waking from winter. Fresh shoots appear, the soil starts warming and there is plenty to prepare, prune, plant and sow.
The weather can still be unpredictable, however, so keep an eye on forecasts and be ready to protect tender new growth.
Prune your roses
March is a good time to prune bush and climbing roses, removing unwanted growth and encouraging healthy new shoots.
Thoughtful pruning helps create strong plants and encourages an abundant display of flowers later in the year.
Plant onions and shallots
Plant onion sets and shallots into well-drained soil, choosing a position where they will receive plenty of light.
Avoid planting into very wet or waterlogged ground and allow sufficient space for the developing bulbs.
Plant summer-flowering bulbs
Start preparing for summer by planting bulbs such as lilies and alliums.
Planting now gives them time to establish before producing colour and interest later in the season.
Divide overcrowded perennials
Established herbaceous perennials can become congested over time.
Lift and divide overcrowded clumps to rejuvenate older plants and improve their health. An added benefit is creating additional plants that can be replanted elsewhere or shared with other gardeners.
Plant early potatoes
If you have been chitting early potatoes, they can be planted towards the end of March, provided soil and weather conditions are suitable.
Protect emerging shoots if late frost threatens.
Give dahlias an early start
Start dahlia tubers in pots or trays in a frost-free greenhouse or indoors.
This gives plants an early start while protecting tender growth from cold conditions. They can then be planted outside later in spring when the risk of frost has passed.
Cut back old growth
Before fresh shoots become established, cut back the old growth from herbaceous perennials and ornamental grasses.
Removing last year's dead material makes room for new growth while giving you an opportunity to inspect plants as they begin their new season.
Sow hardy vegetables
When the soil is workable, start sowing hardy vegetables including peas, broad beans, spinach, carrots and parsnips.
Conditions can vary considerably during March, particularly in the North of England, so let the soil and weather guide you rather than the calendar alone.
Prepare beds and vegetable plots
Get flower beds and vegetable plots ready for the growing season by removing weeds and incorporating compost or well-rotted manure.
Preparing the ground now will improve growing conditions for the plants and crops that follow.
Watch out for late frosts
Warm spring days can encourage tender new growth, but winter hasn't necessarily finished.
Watch the weather forecast and be prepared to protect vulnerable shoots and young plants whenever late frost is expected.
Wildlife to look out for
March brings increasingly visible signs of wildlife returning to the garden.
Look for bumblebees and other early pollinators emerging on warmer days and searching for spring flowers. Early butterflies may also appear when conditions are mild and sunny.
Garden birds become increasingly active as the breeding season approaches. Blackbirds, robins, blue tits and great tits may be establishing territories, gathering nesting material or investigating suitable nest sites.
Around ponds, look for frogspawn and frogs, one of the most obvious signs that spring has arrived. Toads and newts may also become increasingly active as temperatures rise.
Hedgehogs may begin emerging from hibernation during milder periods. Fresh water and access between gardens can be particularly helpful as they become active again.
One last tip
March is a month when enthusiasm can easily get ahead of the weather.
Use warmer days to prepare, plant and sow, but remember that cold nights and frost remain possible.
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