As spring approaches, the weather warms up and the days get longer — which means it’s time to start planting and sowing. March is your window for cutting back, dividing perennials and getting key crops in the ground before growth surges.
Here’s exactly what to focus on in the garden this month.
March gardening checklist
Cut back last year’s growth
Divide congested perennials
Sow hardy annuals and vegetables
Prepare lawns and tackle early pests
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Cut back & tidy before growth starts
If you haven’t cleared away the dead stems in your garden from last year’s perennials, now’s your last chance. Pruning is a great way to keep your shrubs looking healthy come spring and March may be the last chance to get the job done.
Cut back anything that you may have left over winter for wildlife, frost protection, or simply because you didn’t get round to it. Removing old foliage will make way for new spring growth and keep your borders full of life.
Roses can also be pruned now. Train climbing roses into a fan shape, as horizontal branches produce the most flowering shoots, and remove some of the oldest stems. Shrub roses can be cut back to around 8ins (20cm) from the ground, just above a healthy bud.
Divide overcrowded plants
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Keep an eye out for congested clumps of perennials such as persicaria, geraniums, daylily and iris — in fact, pretty much anything with multiple stems.
Dividing plants now:
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What to sow in MarchUnder Cover (Greenhouse or Cold Frame):
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This is the time to sow vegetable seeds, placing them in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame. Check the sowing conditions as some may need to be placed in a heated propagator, such as tomatoes, aubergines, chillies and cucumbers.
SowSow direct outdoors
Sow hardy crops straight into prepared soil:
Permanent crops such as asparagus and strawberries can also be planted now.
‘Most vegetables grow best in rich soil and you can enrich yours by adding things like bark, manure and grass clippings,’ advises Chris Bonnett from Gardening Express.
Don’t forget flowers
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‘Plant your dahlia tubers in pots undercover,’ says gardener and author Sarah Raven. ‘Dahlias are one of the stars of the summer garden, offering fabulous flowers to cut time and time again throughout summer and autumn. We wouldn’t be without them at Perch Hill.’
Hardy annuals to sow now include:
‘Cosmos is perfect to sow at this time of year, with plenty of varieties to choose from,’ says Sarah, who recommends ‘Purity’ for its clean, simple white flowers and ‘Rubenza’ for its rich, jewel-toned colour in pots.
Also prioritise hardy annuals like sweet peas. ‘Height and scent are quintessential features of summer gardens and sweet peas are a lovely way to get that look. Plant them in March and you’ll have climbing teepees covered in fragrant, colourful blooms by June,’ Sarah adds.
Bare-root roses (last chance)
March is the latest you should plant bare-root roses. These are usually purchased by mail order and arrive, as the name suggests, not in a container but with their roots exposed, so it’s very important to get the plants into the ground as soon as possible.
Roses appreciate well-drained, rich earth, so pile in plenty of well-rotted manure or other soil improver before you plant.
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Summer bulbs
‘As spring settles in, the soil will be warming, making it a good time to plant bulbs so that they’re ready for summer, giving you a beautiful and bright garden for entertaining,’ says Chris.
Plant summer bulbs such as:
Once planted, they require little attention and will reward you with colour later in the season.
Lawn care
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As temperatures rise in mid-March, grass growth begins to pick up.
You can begin mowing again but cut lightly and keep the grass fairly long to keep moisture in during the warmer months.
But avoid mowing if frost is present, as this can damage vulnerable grass. Early spring cuts should be light and infrequent — just enough to tidy rather than scalp.
And one more thing… Slugs
Warmer, wetter conditions mean pests become more active. In spring they can kill your new seedlings, destroy new growth in plants and create holes in delicate leaves.
Protect young plants early with barriers, copper tape, wildlife-friendly pellets or regular evening checks to prevent serious damage.
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