March is really the month that gardeners start to get busy, it can be cold and bleak, but at least it is light by 6.30 am.  It is time to spring into action and start tidying the garden up by cutting back winter shrubs, sweep up and  prepare for the months ahead. We need rain, but the hope is that there will be lots of sunny days to come.

Pruning

Pruning can be very beneficial to many plants as it boosts flowering/fruiting and controls the size and shape.

Encourage new growth by cutting out old stems and this will stimulate new shoots and opens up the centre of the plant improving air circulation. The new stems that come through will be more vigorous and productive.  Pruning also keeps your plants in good condition as you remove any dead, diseased or damaged stems.

Certain plants such as wisteria and buddleia which have vigorous growth need to be kept in check, otherwise they will outgrow their space and pruning now will have a beneficial effect.

Summer flowering shrubs such as fuchsia can be cut hard back in the spring to again encourage new growth and plenty of flowers.

Grasses such as miscanthus and other deciduous grasses can be cut back from March to April.  Remove all the brown growth leaving any new green stems behind.

Lift and divide

Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials. Daylilies, chrysanthemums, hostas and coreopsis are easy to divide and transplant whilst they are still semi-dormant. Lift clumps with a fork and make clean cuts with a sharp knife or sharp spade.

Train any new clematis stems as they will be starting to emerge from the soil. Last year’s flowering stems can be cut down to the base and as the weather warms up the shoots will grow rapidly and need to be trained to go through a nearby shrub or a support. Tie the stems in very gently but do not force them as they can break very easily

Planting Beds

To prepare herbaceous beds fork over the bare areas and mix in plenty of well-rotted manure or compost. Clear out any weeds. March is a good time for planting new hardy perennials as the soil is starting  to warm up and this encourages growth. Plants described as ‘Hardy Perennial’ mean it should stand up to average low winter temperatures and come up each year for several years.

Herbaceous perennial plants do not need to be planted every year because they can live for many years.  Herbaceous perennials are those that die down to the ground each year but whose roots remain alive and send up new top growth each year.  Examples of these are:

Achillea

Echinacea

Hardy Geraniums

Helenium 

Japanese anemones

Penstemon

Rudbeckia

Salvia

Sedum spectabile

Verbena bonariensis

Rudbeckia

Alpines

Alpines are susceptible to winter rot so remove any rotting plants and replace with fresh young plants.  When planting take off any dead leaves and push gravel back to make a planting hole.  Place the new plant so that the uppermost roots are slightly exposed,  Firm the soil around it well and water.  Put gravel on the exposed roots and crown which will protect them from any standing water.

Vegetables

For potatoes do not rush into planting as the ground is too cold for them but do start to chit your potatoes so you may get them in the ground by the end of the month.

Sowing seeds including chillies and tomatoes and placing them in a greenhouse or on a warm windowsill will give them a long growing season.