Tips for March 2025

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 out up to a quarter of the oldest stems  each year to promote fruitful young shoots.

Complete rose pruning this month. Feeding plants afterwards with a general purpose rose fertiliser and mulching with compost or garden manure.

Begin planting onion sets and shallots once the soil is workable. In rows, allow 5-10cm between onion sets 15-20cm between shallot sets. Planting them so that bulb tips are visible above the ground.

Remove the top 2.5 – 5 cm of old compost from permanent pot plants and top dress with fresh compost.

Remove faded flower heads and seedpods of early flowering bulbs such as daffodils. Let leaves die back naturally to return energy to the bulb for next years display.

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

Plant summer flowering gladioli bulbs in containers or a sunny border, staggering planting for succession of flowers.

Prune the colourful stems of shrubby cornus and salix this month. Coppicing is a popular technique and involves taking all stems back to 5-7cm from the ground or to last years stubs annually.

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

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