‘March is when things start ramping up’ gardening expert says as she reveals essential jobs you must do now
WITH the sun finally starting to appear more often, the green-fingered among us will be eager to roll their sleeves up and get to work.
Gardening fanatics will be preparing to get their spaces ready for spring, and an expert has revealed the essential jobs you must get done now.
Hosts of the The Ins & Outs podcast, Pollyanna Wilkinson and Jojo Barr, sat down to discuss the must-do jobs for March.
The pair have 23 years of experience between them in interior and exterior design and use their podcast to give listeners helpful advice and tips.
March gardening to-do list
Hydrangeas
Pollyanna says this is the "big job" for March, but warns everyone to wait until the middle to end of the month.
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She says as with all things gardening, listeners should "watch the weather and not the month."
That means people should be keeping an eye on the temperature - and only start pruning when the nighttime temps drop to three or four degrees "consistently."
Cornus, buddleia, cotinus
There are other things you can start pruning too!
If you have cornus (dogweed), buddleia or cotinus (smoke bush), you're fine to start pruning these back this month.
Polly's permission to start cutting back
Pollyanna said now is the time to start cutting back all the plants you've been keeping up over winter.
She advised: "We all have to do it eventually, and yes I know we've been keeping it up for the wildlife but now is the time so if you've got ornamental grasses or perennials or things you've kept, down it comes."
Get those dahlias ordered
It's time to start thinking ahead to your dahlias, if you're looking to add a pop of colour to your garden.
Although dahlias shouldn't be planted until the last frosts (around late April/early May), you can still start them off now.
That's why it's a good idea to order them asap, to make sure they arrive in time.
All you need to do is make sure they are kept safe under cover and protected from the elements.
Sewing seeds
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And as March's sunshine has brought the the light levels back up, Polly says: "You can start sewing seeds now, go for it.
"It's nice to be out there in the sunshine."
Cheap gardening tips
- Keep weeds away with straw
According to horticulturists and plant professionals, all-natural straw is one of the most effective tools to bring into your garden.
You don’t need to buy a whole bale – you can typically buy smaller bundles at your local farm store for upwards of £1.50.
Some stores even sell pre-portioned bags made for gardens, which can cost closer to £10 but can be found on the shelves or online. - Call your local garden centre
If you are unsure of how to care for your plants, hop on the phone or online and get in touch with your local garden center, rather than resorting to the internet.
Nursery employees will have an up-to-the-minute understanding of your area’s conditions, and any plant care tips that are unique to your climate and soil.
Calling them with a question or stopping in is totally fine – they want your plants to thrive, too. - Wood to keep slugs out
Use a piece of wood to keep the slugs out of your garden.
Experts say that they’ll crawl under it for shade.
Then you can gather them up and get rid of them. - Save your toilet paper tubes.
You can use paper towel tubes and toilet paper tubes in your garden, according to a tip from Family Handyman.
Save the tubes and cut them into two-inch lengths before placing them in a waterproof tray.
Then simply fill the tubes with potting soil and start planting your seeds.
According to the site, when you’re ready to move them into the garden, they can be planted right in the tubes and, because it’s cardboard, they’ll decompose organically.