In The Garden – Things to do in March

In The Garden – Things to do in March

A few garden ideas for the end of March.

Plants

Pot on cuttings that you have overwintered. Handle them carefully, as the roots will be very delicate. Use peat free potting on compost for the best results. You can place new plants in a greenhouse or cover with eco fleece on cold days and over night. 

It is also the time to start planting some seeds, but for best results make sure they are kept warm in greenhouses or porches. Reuse a plastic bag by covering your planted seeds to keep the moisture in. Seeds like Sweet peas and Courgettes like to be planted now – but do check the back of the packet.

Start now to get a handle on weeds which are starting to come up with rigour now. Keeping on top of them now can make weeding much easier later in the year. If you have an area you don’t mind leaving weeds (a wildlife corner) leave a few as food for wildlife such as butterflies, for example nettles are food for various caterpillars. 

Dig over and fertilise soil you plan to plant in later. And now is a good time to add a little bit of fertiliser to pot plants too, To give them a little boost for Spring. 

Wildlife in the Garden

As birds are starting to nest and it is illegal to disturb nesting birds, hedge cutting should now be over. 

If you haven’t already now is the time to clean out nest boxes – but check to make sure new birds aren’t already nesting. Birds like Swifts aren’t back until later in the year, so these boxes are fine to clean now. Different birds like different bird boxes and different places for them to be. For example Swifts like to be high up on the house. It may seem like a lot of trouble, but it is worth it to help save these beautiful birds. Find out more on Swiftconservation.org. There is also a new campaign with the Wildlife Trust and RHS – Wild About High Flyers – where you can learn more. 

If there is space on your house or in your garden, now is a great time to add nest boxes for birds, who will be looking for new areas to raise their young.

Hedgehogs have woken up now. If you know you have nightly visitors, leave out a shallow water dish for them. And if you can leave out hedgehog food.

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