Fruit & vegetable garden
Flower garden
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Lawns and meadows
Ponds
Wildlife gardening
Garden structures
Gardening for children
Top 10 jobs
1. Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes
2. Protect new spring shoots from slugs
3. Plant summer-flowering bulbs
4. Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials
5. Top dress containers with fresh compost
6. Mow the lawn on dry days (if needed)
7. Cut back Cornus (dogwood) and Salix (willow) grown for colourful winter stems
8. Weeds come back in to growth - deal with them before they get out of hand
9. Start feeding fish and using the pond fountain; remove pond heaters
10. Open the greenhouse or conservatory doors and vents on warm days
March's weather
Glossary of terms
Apical dominance
Crown
Frost-free
Hand pollination
John Innes compost
Mulch
Plug plants
Propagator
Fruit and vegetable garden
Fruit
Prune autumn raspberries (if not done already), cutting all canes down to the ground before mulching and top dressing with fertiliser over the roots.
Prune gooseberries if not done already. All sideshoots from the main stems should be cut back to three buds, cutting just above a bud. Last year’s new growth on the main stems can also be shortened by about one-third, tipping back the main branches. Feed and mulch the bushes after pruning.
Cane fruits, fig trees and young trained fruit trees can be re-trained, if necessary. Last years new shoots can be un-bundled and spread out to provide this year’s fruits (for blackberries and hybrid berries). Other soft fruit and young tree fruit could benefit from lowering of vigorous branches and raising of less vigorous branches. This alters apical dominance, which can help to balance out unevenly developed branches in a fan or espalier.
Prune blueberries, if not done already, by removing a few old or weak branches from the base of the bush, removing up to a quarter of the total branches.
Protect blossoms of early-flowering apricots, peaches and nectarines from frost by covering the trees with fleece. Hand pollinate the flowers with a fine brush if insects are scarce (a rabbit’s tail is traditionally used).
After weeding, mulch around newly planted fruit trees, but keep a circle immediately around the main stem free of mulch (to prevent the bark from rotting).
Bush and cane fruit will also benefit from mulching.
Feed fruit trees, bushes and canes with a sprinkling of potassium sulphate fertiliser, also known as sulphate of potash, at 15g per sq m hoed into the soil surface. Give a balanced fertiliser as well (containing nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium), if not done last month.
Plant container-grown outdoor grape vines this month. Although bare-rooted vines are planted throughout the winter, containerised vines can be bought and planted in March, once all risk of frost has passed. Vines need deep, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.5-7.
Place cloches or fleece over outdoor strawberry plants for an early crop. Make sure to lift the sides of the fleece during the warmest part of the day, to allow pollinating insects to enter. High potassium feeds (such as tomato fertiliser) will also help to encourage flowers and fruit. Hand pollination may be necessary in very cold spring weather, when insects are scarce.
Strawberry runners that were removed last year and potted up can be planted in new strawberry beds, or in pots.
Sow alpine strawberry seeds under glass.
Cultivate and prepare seedbeds, covering them with clear polythene or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.
Check ties on cane, cordon and fan fruit. Tighten or loosen as necessary, and replace those that are broken or damaged.
Uncover forced rhubarb crowns and let them grow naturally.
You can still plant new fruit trees and bushes, as long as the ground is not too wet, or frozen. Incorporate lots of well-rotted organic matter into the ground before digging the planting hole or trench. Try to complete all plantings early in the month, to give them time to establish before coming into full growth.
A wide range of fruit trees, including apples and pears, can be grafted at this time.
Pest & disease watch
Keep temporary shelters in place over peach trees to protect against peach leaf curl. Nectarines and almonds are also vulnerable.
If American gooseberry mildew has been a problem in previous years, you may want to spray with fungicide (containing sulphur or myclobutanil) on leaf emergence.
Apples and pears may also need spraying against scab, where this has got out of hand in previous years. Fungicides containing mancozeb or myclobutanil are suitable choices.
You may need to spray against pear midge, taking care to do so only when the flower buds are white but still closed. Do not spray once the flowers have opened.
Keep an eye out for early aphid attack on soft fruit, and deal with this appropriately, either by squashing small colonies, or by using pesticide on larger infestations.
Net your fruit crops to reduce pigeon damage, and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds (particularly gooseberries). Nets can be removed once flowering starts.
Vegetables
Cultivate and prepare seedbeds, covering them with clear polythene or fleece to warm up the soil before sowing.
Many vegetable crops can be sown this month, especially in mild areas with light soil, including: broad beans, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, bulb onions, lettuces, radish, peas, spinach, summer cabbage, salad leaves, leeks, Swiss chard, kohl rabi, turnip and summer cauliflower. Be guided by the weather, and sow only if conditions are suitable (as per guidance on the seed packets).
Sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines, celery, salads and globe artichokes can all be sown in a frost-free greenhouse. Artichokes and celery can be transplanted outside later in the spring. Tomatoes can either remain in the greenhouse or be taken outside from early summer onwards. Peppers, cucumbers and aubergines do best kept under cover. Salad crops vary - it is best to check the temperature requirements cited on the seed packets.
Plant shallots, garlic and onion sets.
Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers.
Plant asparagus crowns. A deep, friable, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter incorporated is ideal.
Chit early and maincrop potatoes. In mild regions, earlies are planted out in the second half of the month. In colder regions, it is better to wait until April.
Pot up tomato seedlings when they develop true leaves above the more rounded seed leaves. After growing on in small pots, they can be planted into larger pots or growbags.
Start to remove side shoots from any older cordon tomato plants that you started off early under cover. These side shoots develop in the leaf axils (i.e. between the stem and leaf), and if left to grow will reduce the quality of the fruits by taking up too much of the plant’s energy. Pull them off between your thumb and forefinger.
Continue to harvest Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, spring onions, leeks, winter salads, spring cauliflower and cabbage, Brussels sprouts, chicory, rhubarb, kale and sprouting broccoli. Gardeners in suitable areas, who have got off to an early start by using fleece to warm the soil, could already be harvesting a new crop of radishes.
When spring cabbages are ready to harvest, cut them off the stem and make a cross in the top of the cut stem. Sometimes mini-cabbages, or ‘spring greens’ will grow from the cut stems.
Feed any spring cabbages that have been standing all winter. Use high nitrogen feeds such as Growmore or pelleted poultry manure.
Feed crops which have been left sitting over winter (e.g. lettuces and brassicas). A balanced fertiliser such as Growmore or blood, fish and bone would be best, or a high nitrogen choice such as poultry manure. Avoid tomato feeds (which have high potassium levels) for green, leafy crops. There is enough potassium in balanced feeds to keep them going.
Fleece and polythene can be used to protect early outdoor sowings. Many vegetables can bolt if sown outside too early without protection (beetroot being an example). A greenhouse or conservatory is useful in all but the very mildest areas with the lightest soils, to start seeds off - hardening off and transplanting the young plants into the vegetable garden later in the spring.
Continue to force chicory and seakale. Dig up selected chicory roots, pot them up, and position them in a dark warm place (10-13°C/50-55°F), with an upturned light-proof pot over them. The tasty chicons will appear in three to six weeks. Seakale is best forced outside at seasonal temperatures, with an upturned pot or cardboard box/tube over the top to exclude the light.
Put supports in place for peas.
You could prepare your runner bean supports and trenches for sowing (in May) or planting out (in June). This will save you time later.
Celery trenches can also be prepared, but for planting very soon (depending on the weather in your area). Plenty of organic matter, traditionally well-rotted manure, is key to improving both water retention and drainage simultaneously, and in helping to ensure the success of the crop.
Try to avoid digging in wet weather, but if gardening on top of wet soil, work from a plank of wood, to avoid treading on the bed and compacting the soil.
Start regular hoeing, to keep annual weeds under control. Deal with perennial weeds as appropriate, either digging them out or using weed killer.
Pest & disease watch
Pick yellowing leaves off Brussels sprouts and other brassicas promptly, to prevent spread of grey mould and brassica downy mildew.
Insects start to emerge as temperatures increase. A mild spring can see pest problems developing earlier than usual. Cabbage caterpillars have occasionally been spotted in early spring, and even in late winter (when they may have hatched from eggs laid the previous autumn and survived a mild winter). This is unusual, but with current tends in climate change, is worth bearing in mind in years with mild spring weather.
Place mice controls near stored vegetables.
Ensure that crops remaining in the ground, and new sowings under cloches, are protected from mice.
Regularly check stores and remove any rotting or mouldy specimens.
Slugs pose a threat, and slug controls are necessary now, as always.
Pigeons are serious pests of brassicas and other vegetables. Cloches, frames of netting or fleece, and metal cages will help to keep them away from vulnerable crops.
Attracting wildlife to your garden can help to control pest problems for the coming year.
Herbs
Divide overcrowded clumps of perennial herbs such as chives, sage, thyme and mint.
Sow parsley, chervil, chives, fennel and marjoram. Coriander can be sown under cover.
It is easier to buy in young plants of mint, tarragon, thyme or rosemary. These are harder to grow from seed, some being prone to damping off, others unreliably producing ripe seed, and others being more quickly and practically propagated by division or cuttings.
Pest & disease watch
Covering plants with fleece can protect them from flying pests, as well as from the cold weather.
Look out for signs of botrytis (fluffy grey mould) on herbs, especially in wet weather.
Flower garden
Early spring is an ideal time to plant herbaceous perennials, including Geranium, Astrantia and Oriental poppies. Check that the plants you buy have strong, green shoots and plant them into well-prepared soil.
Hardy annuals can be sown in pots or modules to provide colour in the garden. They are inexpensive and can provide fun activity for children. Suitable examples include Limnanthes, Nemophila, Lobularia and Consolida. In mild areas you can sow directly outside. Marking out irregularly shaped seedbeds and broadcasting drifts of different seed gives a more natural look.
Plant summer-flowering bulbs. Prepare the soil first, to ensure that drainage is sufficient to prevent the bulbs rotting. Anemone coronaria tubers need particularly well-drained soils.
Sow summer bedding plants in a heated propagator or under glass.
Plan a continuous crop of cut flowers for this summer. Perennials such as Delphinium and annuals can be grown to produce a useful and beautiful display.
Sweet peas can be sown outside this month in milder areas. Fleece covering can be used to raise the temperature and encourage seedling growth, or they can be started off in pots in a cold frame. Some varieties need chitting (nicking of the seed coat), and/or soaking, in order to germinate.
Place autumn-sown sweet peas in a sunny position, perhaps on a high shelf in the greenhouse that gets plenty of light.
You may wish to get your sweet pea wigwam growing supports ready. In mild areas, you can transplant young plants to the feet of the wigwam, using a light twine to tie them in.
Divide and/or plant bulbs-in-the-green, such as snowdrops (Galanthus) and winter aconites (Eranthis hyemalis), if not done last month.
Cut back ornamental grasses and other perennials left for winter interest, if you have not already done so. Even if they still look good, you need to make way for the new growth.
Divide clumps of herbaceous perennials that you want to propagate, those that have become too large for their allotted space, and those that are flowering poorly or have lost their shape.
Divide hostas before they come into leaf.
Divide hellebores and polyanthus-type primulas after flowering.
Cut off old leaves of hellebores that produce flowers from ground level (including Helleborus x hybridus and H. niger) to expose the flowers and remove possible foliar diseases such as hellebore leaf spot.
When space becomes available in the greenhouse, pot up cuttings of tender perennials taken last summer and at the beginning of this year. Bulk up plant numbers by taking more cuttings from the largest of the new plants.
Propagate more dahlias from tubers. Pot them up in multi-purpose compost so that the old stalk is just above the surface. Water and place in a warm, light position or in a propagator. Once the fresh shoots have grown to 7.5-10cm (3-4in), cut them off carefully with a knife. Dust the ends with hormone rooting power and push them into a pot containing cuttings compost. Place back in a propagator or plastic bag until roots appear.
Perennials that are showing new shots from the crown can be propagated via basal stem cuttings. Shoots 7.5-10cm (3-4in) high are cut from the parent plant with a sharp knife. Sometimes a piece of root can be taken with the cutting (which speeds establishment), but stems can be cut without root, and then dipped in hormone rooting powder before striking into growing medium, as for softwood cuttings.
Continue to deadhead winter-flowering pansies and other winter bedding. Pansies will carry on into the spring and even to early summer, if attended to frequently.
Deadhead the flowers of Narcissi (daffodils) as they fade, but allow the foliage to die down naturally. Removing the spent flowers prevents the bulb from expending energy on seed production, instead using its energy to replenish the bulb itself.
Herbaceous perennials infested with couch grass and other perennial weeds should be lifted so the roots of the weeds can be removed. Improve the soil by digging in organic matter before replanting.
Clear up weedy beds before mulching. Lighter soils can be mulched now, but heavier soils are best left until March, when the soil is warmer. Mulching with a deep layer of organic matter helps to condition the soil, suppress weed growth, insulate plant roots from temperature fluctuations, and conserve soil moisture during the summer.
Bulbs coming up in the rock garden or in containers may benefit from overhead protection from the rain. A sheet of glass or Perspex placed on piles of bricks will do the job.
Top dress spring-flowering alpines with grit or gravel to show off the plants and to help prevent stem rots. Mulch may need replacing after weed removal.
Check whether containers need watering. Even at this time of year, they can dry out. Pots that are sheltered by eaves or balconies can miss out on any rainfall. If in doubt, check the compost at a hand’s depth to see if it feels dry. Aim to keep pots moist, not wet, and don’t let them dry out.
Pots and tubs benefit from topping up with fresh John Innes compost. Old compost can be removed and replaced with new if there is not much room for topping up.
Feed borders with a general-purpose fertiliser at the manufacturer's recommended rate.
Improve the drainage of heavy soils by working in lots of organic matter.
Perennials putting on plenty of growth may need support by the end of the month. It is best to get supports in early, so that the plants grow up through them, covering them discreetly. Adding rigid supports afterwards usually looks unattractive and results in bunched stems lacking sufficient ventilation. Criss-crossing strings from hidden or decorative posts work well, allowing stems to grow up in the gaps between strings.
Indoor forced bulbs that were in the house for winter displays, but which have now finished flowering, can now be planted into the garden, taking care not to disturb the roots. Examples are Narcissus, Hyacinthus and Iris. Do not force them again this year - they rarely flower as well, and need time to replenish reserves via natural growth and dormancy.
In mild areas, you should remove winter coverings of fleece, straw, polythene etc, to prevent new shoots being damaged. In cold areas, you are best waiting until the risk of frost has passed.
When gardening on wet soils work from a long plank of wood rather than treading on the bed to avoid compacting the soil.
Pest & disease watch
Continue to protect new growth on lilies, delphiniums, hostas and any other plants affected, from slugs and snails.
Check autumn-sown sweet peas and apply mouse and slug controls if necessary.
Hellebore leaf spot can be a problem on old foliage of hellebores. Cutting back the old leaves should control the problem.
Aphids can multiply rapidly during mild spells. Remove early infestations by hand to prevent the problem getting out of hand. Protect sweet pea plants in particular, as they can get sweet pea viruses, which are transmitted by aphids and other sap-sucking insects.
Watch out for downy mildew and black spot on winter pansies. Remove any infected leaves and destroy badly affected plants. To avoid the build-up of diseases, it is best not to plant pansies in the same place year after year.
Look out for rots (such as crown rot, Sclerotinia, delphinum black blotch, black root rot and antirrhinum rust) on emerging perennials, especially if you garden on clay or poorly drained ground. These diseases can overwinter in soil debris, and then re-attack new growth. Hasty removal of affected shoots can contain the problem, but sometimes re-planting in another area is the only effective control.
Remove dead leaves from around the basal rosettes of alpine plants to prevent rotting.
Top dress spring-flowering alpines with grit or gravel to show off the plants and help prevent rotting around the neck.
Glasshouse, conservatory and houseplants
Many conservatory shrubs can be pruned in early spring. Shorten the stems of Cestrum, Brugmansia, Argyranthemum, Abutilon and Acalypha, making the cuts just above a shoot. Although this task is not essential, it ensures that plants remain compact.
At the beginning of the month prune back stems on pot-grown overwintered fuchsias, and place them in a well-lit, warm spot to re-shoot. Re-pot them in fresh compost if necessary, and start feeding six to eight weeks later (or immediately if in old compost).
Deadhead Hippeastrum (amaryllis), leaving the flower stalk(s) to die down naturally. Keep feeding and watering, and you may be treated to further flowers in August, as well as the normal blooms next winter.
Schlumbergera truncata and S. x buckleyi (Christmas cacti): twist off some of the stem segments, with a view to keeping a balanced shape to the plant. This will encourage bushy growth. The detached segments can be used as cuttings, if dried and kept warm for a week, before potting up in gritty compost.
If the leaves on pot Cyclamen start to turn yellow, this may be a sign of overwatering. Keep Cyclamen in a cool, well-lit place and water them from below (into the saucer). Allow the plant to drink for half an hour, before pouring away the remaining water left in the saucer. If the level in the saucer did not go down at all, then the plant did not need a drink. You can always tip out the rootball and feel it before watering, to see if the compost is dry, or if it is still moist from previous watering.
Plumbago, passion flower and jasmine can be thinned out, so that they have a neat framework of branches. The previous year’s growth can also be cut back to two or three buds from the main framework, to keep the size under control.
Bougainvillea pruning is sometimes left until early spring the year after flowering, because of the risk of frost damage when pruning in the autumn, just after flowering. Last year’s growth should be spur-pruned back to 2.5cm (1in) of the main woody framework. Do not prune unless the glasshouse or conservatory is reliably above 10°C (50°F).
Cut back leggy Hypoestes (polka dot plant), Pilea (aluminium plant), Coleus (now called Solenostenum), Tradescantia, Pelargonium, Salvia, Argyranthemum and Lantana to encourage new growth and keep the plants well shaped. Prunings can always be used as softwood cuttings.
Cacti and Clivia houseplants should still be kept dormant until spring weather is definitely under way (early or late March, depending on your local weather). Very little water and no feeding is advised during dormancy. Clivia additionally benefits from lower light levels (e.g. a back room where the lights are never turned on and there is not too much natural light) - to improve flowering the following season. Once spring has definitely arrived, watering, feeding and added light will combine to bring the plants back into active growth.
Greenhouse bulbs that have finished flowering (e.g. freesias and Lachenalia) can now be fed weekly with high potassium feed (such as tomato fertiliser), to build up the bulbs before resting them over the summer. Reduce feeding and watering as the foliage starts to die back, and then lay the pots on their sides under the greenhouse bench until next autumn.
Lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria) that was lifted from the garden to use as winter-flowering pot plants in the greenhouse, should now be planted back outside.
Citrus trees in pots should be top-dressed with fresh compost, and/or re-potted if necessary.
Begonia, Gloxinia and Achimenes tubers can still be planted this month. Begonias and gloxinias need to be planted hollow-side upwards; Achimenes can be planted on their sides, in trays if necessary, before potting them on as necessary once growth appears.
Start cannas into growth by potting up the dormant rhizomes at 16°C (61°F) in a light position. Water them sparingly at first, increasing irrigation as growth develops, and potting on when necessary.
Cool conditions and regular watering will help keep potted indoor azaleas looking good for longer. Remember to water azaleas with rainwater collected in a rain butt, not with tap water.
If you do have any seedlings and/or cuttings in the greenhouse, make sure they are getting the maximum light available, or else they will become weak and leggy. If necessary, turn them once a day so that they get light on both sides. This will stop them leaning over towards the light, and keep them upright and compact.
Don’t forget to prick out seedlings before they get too crowded, and then to pot them on as individual transplants as soon as they are large enough.
Try growing on plug plants in your glasshouse. They are a relatively cheap source of large numbers of plants, and avoid the need for propagation facilities and time-consuming pricking out.
On warm days, open vents and doors of greenhouses to reduce humidity and help prevent disease.
Maintain a minimum of 5°C (43°F) to prevent Fuchsia, Pelargonium and other tender plants being killed by the cold. Higher temperatures (at least 12°C/54°F) will be needed for tropical plants.
Soft tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias this month.
Regularly pick over plants and sweep up fallen debris, to prevent disease spreading.
In colder areas, check that your glasshouse insulation remains secure.
In warmer areas, you may be able to put away the glasshouse heater. But remember that temperatures can still drop at night. Last year we had frosts until late May in southern England. Seedlings in particular can object to wide temperature fluctuations. A heated propagator could be a more cost effective answer than continuing to heat the whole glasshouse, if it is full of otherwise hardier plants in a very mild area (such as south west England).
Clear leaves and twigs from guttering on greenhouses and sheds.
You could use spare space in the glasshouse to warm up growing-bags for use in the vegetable garden.
Keep alpine houses well ventilated.
Stand houseplants on trays of damp gravel to counteract the drop in humidity while central heating is still on.
Water houseplants sparingly until they come into active growth with the advancing spring (this depends on your local weather patterns).
Clean shiny-leaved plants with a damp cloth and spiky plants with a soft brush.
Check houseplants to see if they are potbound. Pot up if necessary.
Don't leave houseplants overnight on windowsills behind the curtains, if there is a risk of frost, especially if your windows are not double-glazed.
Check that light levels are sufficient for houseplants. They will need light to carry on until the spring. Check that greenhouse panes are clean, and take care not to leave houseplants in a back room that receives little natural light, or has the curtains drawn. They are best moved to sunny positions until late March, or whenever light levels increase to such a level that houseplants need re-positioning out of direct sunlight.
Pest & disease watch
Pick up dead or fallen leaves and flowers to deter Botrytis (grey mould).
Cyclamen persicum (often given as a winter pot plant) is best watered from below (i.e. into the saucer, not the pot), as wetting the leaves can easily result in fungal infections such as cyclamen grey mould and rotting off.
Unhealthy looking Cyclamen could also be suffering from vine weevil attack, so gently knock the plant out of the pot to check the roots for signs of larvae, treating accordingly.
As the weather gets warmer, insect and pest populations rise. It is wise to control early infestations before they become unmanageable - removal by hand is often enough in the early stages.
Look out for damping off disease on seedlings, and treat appropriately.
Check regularly for signs of pests, particularly as temperatures increases. Use organic or chemical controls as necessary.
Ventilating the glasshouse or conservatory on mild sunny days will help to reduce fungal infections.
Trees, shrubs, roses, climbers and hedges
Continue to plant deciduous hedging plants, shrubs, trees and climbers. Stakes and rabbit guards should be put in place at the time of planting trees, to prevent damage to the rootball or bark.
This is the best month for planting roses in heavy soils or in cold areas. Avoid planting in areas where roses were previously grown, otherwise new introductions may suffer from replant disease.
Towards the end of the month, you can plant evergreen shrubs and trees left unplanted since the autumn.
In warmer areas, evergreen trees and shrubs can be moved in late March. It is better to wait until early April in colder areas. Make sure the soil is not waterlogged or frozen solid, and bear in mind that they will need careful attention to watering if they are to survive their first summer after moving.
If you are hesitant to move large trees and shrubs so close to the summer, then you can prepare mature specimens for moving next autumn. Digging a narrow trench around the plant, cutting some of the roots in the process, encourages the growth of finer, fibrous roots, rather than the thick tap roots which are harder to remove successfully, and which absorb water less efficiently.
Feed trees, shrubs and hedges with a balanced fertiliser (such as Growmore or blood, fish and bone), sprinkling it over the root area before hoeing into the soil surface. This will particularly benefit young, weak, damaged or heavily pruned plants.
Prune established bush and standard roses as they start growing but before any leaves unfurl.
Roses will benefit from feeding with a granular rose fertiliser as they come into growth.
Many summer or late-summer flowering deciduous shrubs can be pruned between January and March. Examples include Buddleja davidii, Caryopteris clandonensis, Ceratostigma, Hydrangea paniculata, Leycesteria, Lavatera, Perovskia, hardy fuchsia, and deciduous Ceanothus species.
Shrubs such as Buddleja davidii, Salix alba var. vitellina cultivars, Eucalyptus gunnii and Cornus sanguinea cultivars are usually stooled (i.e. cut back very hard), because this keeps them at a manageable size, as well as deepening the stem colour of those species grown for their winter stem colour.
Delay pruning spring-flowering shrubs until after they have flowered, otherwise this year's display will be lost.
Do not prune slightly tender evergreen shrubs (such as Choisya, best left until April), but do tackle hardier examples (such as Prunus laurocerasus, the cherry laurel), if necessary.
Remove any reverted green shoots on hardy variegated evergreens, to prevent reversion taking over.
Deciduous flowering Prunus species (ornamental cherries, plums and almonds) are vulnerable to silver leaf if pruned before mid-summer, and anyway should not require routine pruning if planted with sufficient space for their eventual size.
Check tree ties and stakes. Replace, tighten or slacken them where necessary.
Firm back newly planted trees and shrubs if they have been lifted by strong winds.
Check protective coverings on newly planted or borderline hardy trees, shrubs and climbers, to ensure they remain secure until the risk of frost has passed.
Remove weeds from around the bases of young trees.
Mulch and feed shrubs, trees, hedges and climbers after pruning, to give them energy for the extra growth they will put on after cutting back.
Maintain pruning on pollarded trees such as willow (Salix) and lime (Tilia), cutting back all growth to within two or three buds of the crown.
If your trees are too large for you to manage pruning alone, you may need a tree surgeon. Otherwise take care not to damage the tree when sawing off thicker branches.
Tie wall shrubs and climbers onto their supports to protect them from wind damage.
Spur-prune all current stems on Campsis by cutting back the laterals to within two or three buds of the main branches forming the framework.
Cut back late summer and autumn flowering (group 3) Clematis, if not done last month. Cut to the lowest pair of strong buds above ground level, mulching and feeding afterwards.
Prune winter-flowering jasmine once the flowers have faded. Remove any dead or damaged shoots, tie in new shoots to the main framework, and then shorten all the laterals coming off the main framework to 5cm (2in), cutting to a bud. This will keep the plant neat, and improve flowering next year. It is a good idea to feed and mulch after pruning, as the plant will put on lots of growth in response to cutting back.
Summer-flowering jasmines may also be pruned (if necessary), providing that they are reasonably hardy in their situation. With these you should remove a couple of stems completely to ground level, and avoid cutting back laterals, as this would damage the current year’s flowering potential.
Overgrown climbers can be renovated this month. With deciduous ones, you should now be able to tell which growth is dead and which alive, as the live stems will show buds bursting into life. Suitable climbers include Lonicera (honeysuckle), Hedera (ivy) and rambling roses.
Trim winter-flowering heathers as the flowers fade. Shears are the ideal tool. This will prevent the plants from becoming leggy and bare.
Sow tree seeds that have been kept in cold storage since collection in the autumn.
Cut out the top rosette of leaves from leggy stems of Mahonia x media cultivars to encourage branching.
Check hardwood cuttings taken last year. They may need planting or potting on.
Layering is a good way to propagate climbers and lax-stemmed shrubs. Layers should root by next spring, as long as some attention to watering is given during dry weather. Examples to try include Philadelphus, Forsythia, Hydrangea and Lonicera.
Pest & disease watch
Put rabbit guards around newly planted trees and shrubs to protect the bark.
Avoid planting in areas where roses were previously growing otherwise new introductions may suffer from replant diseases.
Inspect sick looking box and holly trees for signs of blight.
Bracket fungus on trees is more visible at this time of year. If the tree is in poor health it is worth calling in a tree surgeon for a professional opinion.
Phytophthora root rots can cause die back on mature trees and shrubs. Wet winter weather and poorly drained soils are likely to encourage this problem on susceptible woody plants.
Check for damage or cankers on deciduous trees.
Be aware that pests emerge as the weather gets warmer. Caterpillars, aphids and fly pests may all become problematic during mild spells. Early infestations can often be managed by hand removal, making insecticides unnecessary.
Lawns and meadows
Check that electric and petrol-powered mowers are in good working order.
Mow the grass if the weather is mild enough and the lawn shows signs of growth. Ensure the first cut of the season is light, raising the blades 0.5cm (0.25in) higher than the usual cutting height.
Newly turfed areas can be mown with the blades set to the highest setting, as soon as the grass reaches 5cm (2in) in height.
Turf can be laid, provided the soil is not too wet or frozen. Work from planks, to avoid compacting the soil.
Do not walk on newly laid turf, and leave it undisturbed for several weeks to allow the new roots to establish.
Where lawns are to be grown from seed, prepare the ground for sowing by cultivating, levelling and then firming the soil. Doing this now will allow the soil to settle prior to sowing later in the month, or in April.
In late March apply a high nitrogen spring/summer lawn fertiliser to encourage good, strong growth to help the lawn recover after the winter.
Straighten lawn edges using a half-moon turf iron and a board, or use sand to mark out a curve, which can then be cut out with the iron.
Troubleshooting
Disperse dry worm casts with a hard brush.
Bare patches can be re-sown at the end of the month in mild areas.
Molehills are often a problem in spring, as the creature tunnels in search of food. Traps are the most effective way to deal with this problem.
Repair lawn edges or patches with turves cut from other areas of the garden.
If you did not get round to your autumn lawn maintenance, then you can scarify the lawn in early spring, by raking out all the moss and thatch with a spring-tined rake.
If the weather is mild, then you can repair hollows and bumps in the lawn by making an ‘H’ shaped cut in the turf, peeling back the grass, and either filling the hollow with loam, or scraping away the soil from a bump. Then re-lay the turf, press it into place and pinch the cut edges together.
Fusarium patch, or snow mould, may be a problem in wet weather, particularly on overfed and lush lawns that have been left to grow a bit too long.
Algae can be a problem on lawns where there is poor drainage, excessive shade, or under the drip-line of trees.
Ponds
Remove pool heaters when the weather starts to warm.
Replace pumps, water features and lighting systems, after checking they are in working order.
Remove netting coverings placed over the pond to protect it from autumn leaf fall.
Start feeding the fish. Little and often is best, to prevent excess food leading to unwanted algal blooms.
Begin dividing marginal and bog garden plants if overcrowded. Contain vigorous perennials by planting in aquatic plant baskets and top with a layer of gravel to prevent fish stirring up the compost.
Cut back old marginal vegetation from around the pond.
Tidy up plants in the bog garden and mulch with composted bark (or similar material).
Frogs, toads and newts begin to spawn as the weather improves. Find out how to encourage them into your pond and see Wildlife Gardening below.
You could take the opportunity to dig a new pond - the spring rains may even help to fill it. We recommend a minimum depth of 60cm (2ft) at the deepest point, to reduce the risk of the pond freezing to its full depth. Gently sloping contours between the shallow and deep areas, and between the bank and the water, are more wildlife-friendly, and help to make marginal plantings appear natural. Our RHS members’ advisory service can advise on suitable liners and construction materials, as well as on ways to address health and safety concerns.
Troubleshooting
Grille coverings (either simple meshes or bespoke features) can protect young children from accidents. The size of the mesh can be judged in order to prevent hazard, but to also allow access for wildlife, and to preserve the aesthetic charm of the pond.
Monitor the water level of your pond, as winter weather may have caused defects in liners and concrete structures.
New or recently cleaned ponds can suffer problems with algae. Providing some shade can help reduce this problem, and site selection can be crucial here. Ironically a covering of Lemna (duckweed) can provide sufficient shade to help suppress the algae until cultivated aquatic plants establish sufficiently to suppress the duckweeed’s proliferation. Other helpful measures include filling the pond with rain water rather than tap water, avoiding getting soil or compost in the pond (as these contain fertilisers that encourage algal growth), and taking care to remove plant debris from the water promptly.
Wildlife gardening
Jobs for this month
- Put up nesting boxes for birds
- Top up bird feeders and put food out on the ground and bird table
- Avoid chunky foods that might cause young fledglings to choke
- Keep the bird bath topped up
- Regularly clean bird baths and tables
- Introduce frogspawn to your pond
- Put out hedgehog and badger food
- Make your pond more wildlife friendly
- Put out log, twig and/or rock piles to create shelter for wildlife
- Build a compost bin while you still have time!
- Sow or plant a wildflower meadow
- Buy and hang a bee nesting box
Birds
You may see birds flitting backwards and forwards as they gather nesting materials this month. You might be woken by the spring dawn chorus in most areas with even a bit of greenery.
Put up nesting boxes for birds, to increase their choice of nesting sites. You could hang a nest box opposite a window, in the hope of seeing the mother coming and going from the nest. Boxes hung on walls can be safer from cats and other predators than those hung on trees. A north or north-east facing position is best, as strong sun can make nest boxes uninviting. Choose a height suitable for the bird species in your garden, after doing a little research.
When choosing nesting boxes, consider their design before buying. Woodcrete (a mixture of concrete and sawdust) can be a better material than wood, as it is cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Different designs may be more or less suitable for particular species, and it is worth doing a little research. Combined nest boxes and feeding tables are not usually popular with wild birds, and can be unhygienic. Bird food catalogues often have helpful information about available products, as do the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the British Trust for Ornithology and The Wildlife Trusts.
When putting out bird food, it is best to avoid peanuts and large chunks, as there is a risk that large pieces could be fed by adult birds to their fledglings, and this could result in choking. Safe foods include: wildbird seed mixes (but not those containing peanuts or dog biscuit); black sunflower seeds (the birds will remove the outside casing, and the inner seed is soft); mild grated cheese; sultanas, raisins and currants (best soaked overnight); pinhead oatmeal; apples, pears and other soft fresh fruit; mealworms and waxworms. Alternatively, you can buy fat balls from many garden centres and bird food suppliers. This is an easy alternative, and you can be confident that you will be doing no harm.
To maximise the numbers of different bird species that you attract to your garden, it is a good idea to cater to their different feeding habits. Hanging bird feeders attract species such as tits, finches and sparrows. There are many models available, designed to help keep out rats, cats, pigeons and squirrels, or to fit onto walls, windows, windowsills and balconies. Bird tables attract robins, house and tree sparrows, doves, pigeons, bullfinches, greenfinches, chaffinches and bramblings. Food scattered on the ground attracts blackbirds, thrushes, dunnocks, wrens, fieldfares and redwings.
Hanging bird feeders are best sited over a paved or decked area, which can be regularly swept clear of debris. This may help to reduce problems with rats, if they prove a nuisance.
Bird tables are best sited a few feet clear of cover or high vegetation, so that cats and other predators cannot launch themselves onto unsuspecting feeding birds. They can be quite close to the window or patio, as many birds seem to get used to human activity, and are unlikely to be put off by coincidental human activity.
A bird bath can be a vital source of drinking water for birds. Ensure that yours is kept topped up. Models are available to attach to windows, walls and sills, if you are limited for space. Do be aware of hygiene in the bird bath, especially with the current concern about Asian bird flu. Changing the water regularly, and scrubbing the bath out with a mild detergent (available from bird food suppliers) can help to prevent the spread of disease.
Although risk is still deemed to be low outside of the poultry industry, anyone interested in birds in their garden will be concerned about bird flu (see www.rspb.org.uk or www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/notifiable/disease/ai/index.htm). Good hygiene is key to reducing risk. Make sure that wild bird droppings are not allowed to accumulate on lawns and surfaces. Obviously, if you keep pet birds or chickens, you are advised to keep them completely separate from potential contact with wild birds, and to mind your own hygiene before and after handling them, wearing suitable protective clothing that is kept solely for this task.
Mammals, reptiles and amphibians
Frogs, toads and hedgehogs emerge from hibernation as the weather gets milder.
Frogs and toads usually mate around this time, the males calling for females in the evenings. If you have a pond, you may see it come alive with squirming amphibians and foaming spawn. If not, you can always try introducing spawn from another pond that has lots already, or from one that is threatened with destruction. You can tell spawns apart by looking more closely: frogspawn is usually in jelly-like clumps; toad spawn is in long double strands; newt spawn is laid individually on the stems of pondweeds, and is usually the last to appear. Goldfish eat tadpoles so do not introduce spawn into fishponds.
If you want to make an existing formal pond more wildlife friendly, you could phase out the fish, add ‘steps’ to counteract steep sides (so that birds, mammals and amphibians can enter and exit more easily), soften the edges with marginal planting (which will also provide hiding and breeding places for wildlife), and introduce a few native species to an otherwise exotically planted pond. Suitable examples include marsh marigold (Caltha palustris), water mint (Mentha aquatica) and yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). Be aware that native species can be more vigorous than some non-native species, and regular thinning is therefore advised.
Hedgehog and badger food is now available for sale. It is not a good idea to feed hedgehogs with bread and milk, as this is not their natural diet. Dog food is an alternative.
Foxes and badgers are less in evidence at this time of year, as they are likely giving birth to their cubs underground.
Insects
Butterflies emerge as temperatures rise and sunshine increases - brimstones, commas and even early cabbage whites in warm spells.
Remember that insects are gardeners’ friends as well as foes! They are natural pest controllers, and will keep each other’s populations down to manageable levels once your garden has got back into a natural balance.
Bee homes are now widely available. Initial reports suggest that nesting boxes for colony-forming bees (such as bumble and honey bees) are not always effective, but homes for solitary bees (such as mason bees), made from tubes and tunnels in boxes, are more successful. They are also attractive. Models with a backing are more successful than those open at both ends. This kind of bee house is easy to make at home. Even a tin can filled with straws will do the job. South-facing positions, hanging at chest height or above, are best. Bees usually colonise these homes in spring, hibernating over winter to emerge the following spring. The boxes can be left out over winter, or taken down and stored in a safe place to avoid bees being eaten by predators.
All wildlife
Put out log and twig piles made from old prunings and felled trees. These provide valuable shelter for wildlife, and can be made into attractive features by planting up with ferns, primroses, or other suitable plants. A site well away from the house should ensure that unwanted creepy crawlies do not stray into domestic rooms.
Piles of slabs or rockery stones will act as a suitable wildlife habitat, as will old bales of straw, hay or prunings.
Corrugated iron or plastic laid on the soil can provide ‘tunnel’ hiding places for small reptiles and mammals looking for shelter and warmth.
Plants
You may wish to identify a suitable part of the garden to leave untouched as a wildlife area. A small patch behind a shed is perfectly fine if you’re worried about it looking untidy.
Now could be the last month you will have time to build a wooden compost bin or a leafmould pen, if you do not have these in your garden already. They will be ready for all the debris produced by the new growing season. Alternatively, open heaps of piled debris rot down just as well, but take longer to do so. Generally, the larger the heap, the quicker it rots, as more heat builds up within.
You may wish to sow or plant a wildflower meadow. You should prepare the ground, if you did not do so last month. You will need to create a seedbed if you wish to sow wild flower seed. Annual cornflower seed mix gives an instant display in the first year. Perennial seed mixes take two years to flower, and may be less dramatic in their appearance. An alternative is to spray a weed killer containing glyphosate, on patches of the existing grass. Plug plants can be sourced to grow on, and to then plant in the bare patches. This will only work where the existing grass is not very vigorous. Rye grasses can overwhelm meadow flowers. If you do have rye grass, another option is to over-seed with yellow rattle. This is an annual parasitic plant that can be sown directly on to grass, gradually weakening it, and hopefully self-seeding from year to year, producing pretty yellow flowers.
Garden structures
Re-surface paths before plants encroach.
Remove dirt and algae from walls, paving and patios. Pressure washers can be rented if necessary.
Check and repair pergolas, arbours and arches if needed.
In dry spells, you can treat timber structures with wood preservative and stain. Only do this in a well-ventilated space, to reduce the risks to your lungs and eyes. Make sure you use appropriate products. Creosote, for example, is no longer legal.
Continue with hard landscaping if the ground is firm. Try and finish projects early in the month, to free time and space for much needed maintenance and planting as the spring begins.
Give watering cans a good scrub out to prevent fungal disease.
Take action to remove algae from paths if they start to become slippery.
It’s your last chance to make structures such as fences and arbours from living stems, including willow.
Go through your shed and remove any old, out-of-date garden chemicals. If in doubt of how to dispose of them, your local authority tip should be able to help. You can check our list of chemicals removed from the market for up-to-date information.
Gardening for children
As well as being able to take part in many of the above activities, here are some extras especially for them.
Potatoes can still be chitted this month, children being tasked with placing them rose-end upwards (the end with most 'eyes') in old egg boxes or trays for sprouting before planting.
Children can help plant onion, garlic and shallot sets. Small children can place the bulbs at an appropriate spacing in drills made by an adult or older child.
Anti-tetanus vaccinations are essential where children are in contact with soil; see your GP.
Sowing hardy annuals either directly in the beds, or in containers, is an inspiring task for children, with relatively quick results for them to enjoy.
Deadheading daffodils (the spent flowers can be pulled off) may be enjoyed by children who may otherwise expect to be told off for picking blooms. A reward system for the number of dead heads collected could be instigated by parents and children sympathetic to such incentives.