Your March gardening to-do list
- By the end of the month, prune late flowering clematis (Class 3) such as ‘Jackmanii’ to 15-20 cm from the ground.
- Prune your bush and shrub roses with sharp secateurs, removing crossing or dead branches, then cutting back to strong stems just above an outward-facing bud. Hydrangeas can also be pruned now, removing around one third of last season’s growth.
- Move shrubs and trees that have outgrown their spot, taking as large a root ball as you can. This is also the last chance to plant bare root trees and shrubs so they can get established before the warmer weather.
- Mulch bare soil in beds and borders with a thick layer of organic matter such as well rotten manure to stop soil losing water as the weather warms up, watering first if it’s dry.
- Feed soil with an organic fertiliser, such as chicken pellets or blood, fish and bone. Give roses a special rose feed or a balanced fertiliser.
- Create new plants by dividing overgrown clumps of perennials, teasing the roots apart with two forks back to back.
- Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as gladioli and deadhead daffodils, letting the foliage die back.
- Start mowing the lawn on dry days on a high setting and re-seed bare patches.
- Sow and plant sweet peas outdoors in southern parts and sow hardy annuals outside.
- Keep a look out for slugs especially after rain - they love juicy new growth. Use nematodes for an effective organic control.
