• Tips for March 2024 February 28, 2024 by Jim Buttress

    March is the latest time to buy and plant bare root trees, shrubs and hedging plants which tend do be cheaper than container grown plants. Water well when planting and until established.

    Clean and disinfect surfaces and glass before you start to fill your green house with new plants and seedlings.

    Prune established Blueberries now while the rounded, fat fruit buds are distinguishable from the smaller flatter leaf buds. Blue berries fruit on the previous years growth so prune to a out to a quarter of the oldest stems each year to promote fruitful young shoots.

    Begin planting onion and shallots sets once the soil is workable. In rows, allow 5-10 cm between onion sets and 15-20 cm between shallot sets planting them so that bulb tips are visible above the soil.. Remember to protect your plants from birds with netting.

    Finish planting shrub, patio, ground cover, Floribunda and hybrid tea roses this month. To support strong new growth feed afterwards with a rose fertiliser and mulch with garden co0mpost or well rotted manure.

    Leave the stem and leaves of Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) to die back naturally but remove spent flowers.

    Finish pruning fruit trees and bushes before leaf or flower buds burst open.

    Pinch off daffodil flowers and seed capsules as they fade but leave stems to die back naturally with the foliage.

    Now is a good time to move evergreen shrubs, such as Choisya, Hebe and Pittosporum. As the soil begins to warm up, roots will be able to re-establish quickly but remember to keep them well watered.

    Tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and sweet pepper can all be sown indoors. Keep them protected from any risk of frost.