Top Tips for March

The National Self Build & Renovation Centre

High:
11°C
Low:
4°C

Spring is nearly here, and there's plenty to be getting on with in the garden!

Gardeners everywhere are sitting in sheds and greenhouses with fingers crossed for better weather in March, and if their wishes come true there'll be lots of chances to get out in the garden and start planting.

Here's our top gardening tips for this month:

1. If you want to enjoy beautiful, fragrant blooms from your roses this year, then help them along by sprinkling a little bit of granular feed around the base of the plant, and water in as normal - you'll be amazed by the results later in the year.

2. If you're fed up of having to buy compost, why not build your own compost bin? You'll not only make use of household waste you would otherwise throw away, but also provide a home for some local wildlife such as frogs, toads and even hedgehogs.

And the best thing is, it doesn't even require much effort. A 3-sided container made out of scrap wood or boards will suffice!

3. When you're out in the greenhouse, keep an eye peeled for garden pests such as red spider mite & white/blackfly, and treat immediately to prevent them spreading.

4. If you've not already, now is the perfect time to start planting up bulbs such as canna lillies, begonias, alliums & more!

5. Move any plants you wish to put outside later in the year to a coldframe, to allow them to acclimatise to cooler conditions - you wouldn't want to give them a shock!

Plant

- Vegetable seeds

- Early potatoes

- Summer-flowering bulbs