Monty Don has shared his top tips for gardeners who are looking to get planting in March – but says there is one thing they need to look out for before they start
Matt Jackson Trendswatch Content Editor
19:00, 06 Mar 2026
Monty has shared his March gardening advice(Image: Getty)
Gardening legend Monty Don has issued important advice for those preparing to begin their planting this month. The 70-year-old, whose love for horticulture started as a youngster tending his parents’ strawberry beds, has built a lifetime’s expertise in outdoor cultivation.
Now the presenter of the BBC’s Gardeners’ World, he regularly offers practical wisdom to viewers whilst showcasing his own garden at Longmeadow in Herefordshire. According to Monty, this month presents an ideal opportunity to divide herbaceous plants.
His method involves lifting the entire plant and composting the central portion. The expert advises replanting the “more vigorous outside parts” in clusters, which will eventually develop into individual specimens. This technique should be applied to herbaceous perennials “every three to five years”, he notes.
Monty also emphasises that this period is excellent for planting and designing your garden’s layout. However, he stresses there’s a crucial step gardeners must take before putting anything in the ground, reports the Express.
In Gardeners’ World magazine, he explained: “If your soil is ready then March is a good time to plant and move things around. But ‘ready’ means, above all, warm enough.”
Monty Don has a warning sign to look out for when planting(Image: PA Wire)
He continued: “The only way to know this is by touch. Pick up a handful of earth. If it feels cold and clammy to the skin then seeds will not germinate and roots will not grow. If it feels warm, holds together when squeezed and yet can easily be crumbled then it is ideal.”
Meanwhile, Monty has highlighted the challenges gardeners encounter with March’s notoriously changeable conditions. Writing on his website, he noted: “March changes from day to day, even hour to hour. We often have snow, frost, wind, rain and warm sunshine and always have daffodils, blossom, fritillaries, the hedges breaking into leaf and the grass growing.”
Despite the unpredictability, he suggests this is an ideal period to begin planting vegetables. Monty advised: “Sow seeds under cover such as cabbage, lettuce, celery, beetroot and tomatoes. Do not sow any seeds outside if the ground feels cold to the touch.”
Monty has one thing to look out for before planting(Image: PA Wire/PA images)
He continued: “If warm and dry enough, sow broad beans, beetroot, rocket, spinach, mizuna, parsnips, radish and winter lettuce.”
According to Monty, this season is also perfect for general garden maintenance, including clearing fallen leaves and removing moss and debris. Beyond plant care, he recommends continuing to feed birds during spring to support the survival of young chicks.
Monty makes his return to television with Gardeners’ World at 6pm today (6 March). In this week’s episode, he’ll be rejuvenating a weary agapanthus and potting up a fig tree in preparation for future harvests.
Additionally, Frances Tophill will visit a retired GP’s West Yorkshire garden, where prairie planting is underway. Over at RHS Hyde Hall, Ashley Edwards will discuss the hardiness of drought-resistant plants.
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