Garden Jobs For March
What can I do in the garden in March? What garden jobs need to be done in March? What can I plant in March? Does my lawn need caring for in March?
Enjoy your garden all year round with our monthly suggestions of what to plant, how to plant and how to maintain your garden depending on the time of year.
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1. Fertilise your beds and borders
With the cold winter months soon to be a distant memory and spring just around the corner, now is a good time to add some much needed nutrients to your soil if you haven't already. Some of the benefits of adding soil improver are;
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Better root environment for plants
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Breaks down heavy clay soils to improve moisture infiltration and drainage; and adds humus to sandy soils to improve moisture holding capacity
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Increased nutrient uptake and decreased soil borne diseases
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Helps to keep soil pH stable
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Increases growth rates
Once your soil is dry enough, work a 5cm layer of soil improver into your beds.
2. Weeding and pruning
You have probably already noticed an increase in the growth of weeds in your garden so now is a good time to get on top of them before they take hold. The best way to deal with weeds is to dig them out to the root, this will stop them from growing back. Cut back any remaining perennials and prune plants where needed. Adding mulch to your borders is a great idea for supressing any weeds you may have missed and will also rot down eventually adding nutrients to your soil.
3. Plant supports
Now is a good time to put your plant supports in place. It will be easier to do it now, before the heavy growth season and it will look better in the long run. You can buy various types of supports depending on what you are growing such as trellis, stakes, arches, cages or weaves. Supports are used for plants that tend to grow tall, therefore could snap and break. If you are unsure, your local garden centre should be able to help.
4. Lawn Maintenance
With Spring just around the corner now is the time to give your lawn some much needed attention. You may have bare patches, muddy spots or just want to thicken up your lawn. The best product to use to fix your lawn is top-dressing.
The first thing to do before dressing your lawn is prep it. Remove any weeds and mow your lawn. Rake out the thatch and moss as they can prevent water, sunlight and fertiliser reaching the grass. If your lawn in compacted you may want to aerate it before applying your top dressing. Distribute your topdressing into even piles around your lawn, bearing in mind once spread you want it to be around 1/4 deep. Now spread the dressing around its allocated area using a fork or the back of a shovel. Next you will need to brush or work the top dressing into the grass, you need to be able to see at at least 75% of the grass leaf otherwise you risk killing it. If you are seeding now is the time to do it then lightly work it into the topdressing. Lastly, lightly water your lawn over the next few days and you're done!