With the crocuses showing, daffodils in full swing and trees showing the first buds of life, March signals the beginning of spring and new life for the year ahead. It’s a great time to get back out in the garden and get planning for the year ahead. And fingers crossed, the weather will hopefully be showing signs of improvements. So with this in mind, I thought it might be useful to go through a quick run through of a few jobs to get cracking on this march.
Tree jobs in March:
- Bay Trees will benefit from a bit of gentle trimming this March. Trim shoots which extend beyond the shape of the tree – a little bit of trimming will encourage lots of fresh, healthy young growth.
- Spring is a great time to prune back new shoots from your Olive Tree. A little bit of pruning, will help maintain an appealing tree-like shape.
- Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a balanced fertiliser. This will particularly benefit young, weak, damaged trees in your garden.
- In March you should prune on Willow Trees and Lime Trees. Cut back all growth to within two or three buds of the crown for best results.
- With the improving weather, it is likely that weeds may start to put in an appearance. The best practice is to target weeds early, to avoid the situation getting out of hand. Weed growth around young tree saplings can restrict growth.
- Put rabbit guards around newly planted trees and shrubs to protect them.
- March is the ideal time to plant fig trees. Dig a hole and line it with paving slabs for drainage before planting and you will be good to go. Fig trees prefer dry, well-drained conditions.
Other jobs in the garden:
- March is a great time to sow your vegetables for the year: carrots, French beans, salad leaves, potatoes, peas, onions...
- Plant summer-flowering bulbs.
- Tidy up time – check plant and tree ties, remove weeds and feed the lawn with a good fertiliser.
Word of warning; even though we are out of the worst of the weather, there is still a distinct threat of frost. Don’t assume that the weather will be fine from here on out and remove your trees and plants from sheltered spots – a quick nasty frost and you could pay the price.
