Ten essential March gardening tips
After an exceptionally wet and windy start to the year, Yorkshire gardeners will be waiting in gleeful anticipation for the joys of early spring. With the first day of the new season landing on 20th March, the good news is, you don’t have long to wait!
If you’re hoping to get the best out of your green space once spring has sprung in earnest this year, these essential March gardening jobs should not go amiss…
Feed trees, shrubs, and hedges – To get your garden’s borders and flower beds in good nick for the new season, now’s the time to feed the surface soil of trees, shrubs, and hedges with slow-release fertiliser.
Get pruning! – Another essential job for March is pruning early-flowering varieties of clematis and roses. They’ll thank you later with strong spring growth!
Prep your vegetable beds – Prepare your vegetable beds by digging in a 5cm+ layer of compost or green waste, creating an ideal environment for soon-to-emerge spring veggies.
Make good use of autumn leaf fall – Composted autumnal leaf fall makes a fantastic (and free!) mulch and soil improver, that’s perfect for using in large pots and flower beds ahead of spring.
Support plants and climbers – If your green space is home to climbing plants, or those that’ll need structural support amidst bursting spring growth spurts, now’s the time to implant sturdy supports!
Install water butts – To make the most of the inevitable late-winter/early-spring showers, install water butts in your garden (ideally beneath a downpipe) to get the rain on your side.
Trim back dead foliage – By cutting back dead and dreary foliage that didn’t quite make it through the winter, you’ll be able to make way for healthy spring growth in the new season.
Plant summer-flowering bulbs – Summer-flowering bulbs, like Lilies and Gladioli, make a hassle-free addition to any green space, especially when planted in pots or borders. Plant bulbs now for colourful flourishes in the months to come!
Find inspiration in an open garden visit – Make use of the open garden season to get some great ideas for green spaces in your home. Check out the Open Gardens National Directory and National Garden Scheme websites (see details below) to find and visit beautiful open gardens near you.
Wrangle a special spring bargain – In need of seeds, bulbs, or upgraded garden equipment for the coming season? Make the most of your local garden centre’s spring sales to wrangle a bargain!
Visit www.ngs.org.uk/find-a-garden or www.opengardens.co.uk to find upcoming open garden events in North Yorkshire.
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