The time we spend and have to spend in the garden increases steadily as spring begins. Only those who are diligent now can enjoy an attractive, cozy and healthy garden in the coming season. Gardening beginners in particular are not sure what work needs to be done when and the more they think about it, the more they despair. Take a quick breath and relax, because in today's article we'll summarize which gardening tasks you should focus on in March. Don't stress yourself out too much, because for mostGardening in MarchYou have a longer period of time available - what you didn't do or forgot, you can usually do in April.
The aim of gardening in March is to prepare the garden for the awakening of spring - the last trees are cut, the first seeds are sown and flowers are planted and the lawn is cared for. We summarize!
Pruning in March
The last trees, bushes and...Trimmed hedge plants. You shouldn't wait to do this either, because in Germany this type of gardening is banned in March. The reason for this is that the birds' breeding season begins and this can no longer be disturbed. Anyone who has missed this point will have to wait until after the breeding season, for better or for worse. However, this regulation only applies to hardwood. So you can continue to shorten softwood plants. This also includes roses, for which heavy pruning is generally recommended during the flowering period of the forsythia.
If you haven't already done so, you also need to cut the hibiscus now. Unlike some other shrubs, this one is not pruned in the fall. This method primarily protects young shoots from freezing (the shoots that grew in summer serve as a buffer, so to speak) and stimulates the growth of new shoots in spring.
Die Clematissorten,that bloom in summer, will now also benefit from pruning, as this will make the flowers larger. So if you do your gardening in March, don't worry about cutting it back to 30 to 50 cm, because the plant will sprout again quite quickly.
Also cut back all winter-flowering shrubs in March. Fruit trees and berry bushes offer a fairly long period of time for this purpose. If you haven't done it since November, you can cut off all dead and diseased parts of the plant now in March, but not later than April.
What do you sow in March?
It is still too early for most vegetable and flower plants to be in the garden. However, now is a wonderful time to have some vegetablesPreferable from seeds indoors. Varieties with a long germination time in particular are best sown now. These include, for example, peppers and chili, but you can also start with chard and celery in early or mid-March. For other types of vegetables, however, you still have until the end of March –Tomatoes, for exampleor chard, eggplant and spinach as well as other salads. You can also prefer some herbs. From mid-March, for example, parsley and at the end the delicious basil.
The vegetable plants that can already be sown outdoors include an early variety of cauliflower as well as carrots, kohlrabi, lettuce, peas, parsnips, spinach, radishes and onions. You will find a practical sowing calendar with instructionsin this article.
What do you plant in March?
Fruit trees and fruit bushes can now be planted in the garden. You can also start with the strawberries. Remove runners from those that you already have in the garden or replant them.
What flowers to plant in March? Sweet peas, poppies, cornflowers, primroses, marigolds, pansies and pre-grown tulips are suitable. You can find out more about this in our article aboutFlowers for the garden and balcony.
Gardening in March – lawn care in spring
There is also lawn care in March and more precisely, liming and fertilizing. To do this, wait for a dry day followed by a period of rain. In this way, the nutrients reach the soil with the help of rainwater and can be absorbed by the lawn. If there is no rain, you could also water your garden a little. It may be that you have to mow for the first time in March.
After winter and snow, the lawn may have developed snow fungus or rot in some places. Rake away these unsightly and bare spots in the spring. You can then compact the lawn again in these areas by re-seeding it. Other important information about lawn care, including scarifying,you can get it here.
More work this month
Below we list what gardening work you have to do in March:
- Fertilize the garden in March. You should not only fertilize the lawn, but also many other areas in the garden in March.
- Prepare the garden pond. Remove excess mud and dead plant parts. Check the water quality inyour pondand take action if necessary (pH, ammonium and ammonia levels, nitrite and nitrate levels).
- Harvest winter vegetables. Anyone who has been busy in the garden in January and February can harvest the last of the vegetables from the old season. These usually include chicory, lamb's lettuce, leeks, spinach and parsnips.
- Prepare soil. Once it has dried sufficiently, loosen it and incorporate nutritious compost.
- Theoretical planning. If you haven't done this yet, put a plan together. Write down what flowers and other plants you want to sow or plant this year, note their needs and where you want to plant them.
