March in the garden

March in the gardenis a very important month, because the longed-for spring will finally come to us. The first day of calendar spring falls on March 21. So it's time to get down to business and clean up the gardens and plots after the winter. We should also follow the weather forecasts, because contrary to the common opinion, it is not frosty winter, but early spring and dangerous spring frosts that can cause great damage to our crops. See what are the most importantgardening work in March !

March in the garden - crocuses are blooming this month

March in the orchard

• We start tidying up the plot after the winter. We rake up the remaining fallen leaves from last year's leaves and check the condition of the fruit plants, whether there are visible frost damage to trees or signs of disease infections. When the bark of trees has cracked, it is necessary to try to heal the wounds on the trees.
• We perform pruning of fruit trees and shrubs - in mid-March we trim young fruit trees and shrubs planted in autumn. The gooseberries, raspberries and currants planted in autumn are now trimmed just above the ground. In older trees and shrubs, we make an X-ray cut, if we have not yet trimmed apple trees, we can do it now, we also trim pear trees and plums.

• Shining the crowns of fruit trees plays a huge role in preventing the occurrence of many diseases that are widespread in most gardens. Reducing the number of branches promotes better access of light to the inside of the crown, and also improves air circulation, which in turn makes the leaves and shoots dry faster after rainfall and night dew.This is of great importance in the case of perpetrators of diseases such as apple scab, brown rot of stone and pome trees, as well as small leaf blotch - attacking in conditions of high humidity.
• During cutting, we check the limbs for cracks and wounds resulting from the attack of fruit trees by bacterial cancer. If we notice any damage - cut the infected shoots below the place of infection.
• Remember to coat the cutting wounds with garden ointment, eg Funaben 03 PA or Eco-Derma. You can also prepare garden ointment yourself, using emulsion paint with the addition of a fungicide.
• This month, people who have peaches in their orchards should start treatments to protect these trees against the quite common disease, which is leaf curl. We spray one of the following preparations: Syllit 65 WP, Miedzian 50 WP, Miedzian Extra 350 SC.
• When removing older and dried currant shoots, pay attention to the appearance of the buds.If they are unnaturally swollen, a mite - large currant mite - certainly develops inside them. If only individual buds are swollen, we just peel them off and smoke them, and in the event that most of the buds have this look, cut out the entire shoot.

• At the end of March, when the weather is nice, we can plant new fruit trees and shrubs. After planting, trim and water them.

March in the vegetable garden

• If we have not yet purchased seeds and fertilizers, it is high time to go to the garden shop. It is worth considering the selection of seeds in advance so that we go to the store with the list of the sought varieties.

• We prepare frames for the first sowing, remove old plants and weeds. On warm sunny days, we can ventilate the frames. In order to protect them from night frosts and excessive heating from the sun, it is good to cover them during the day, e.g. with a reed mat.
• Horse manure, which generates a lot of heat, is useful for frames and crops under cover. It should be used by gardeners who prepare seedlings of flowers and vegetables themselves. In the inspection, we prepare a substrate consisting of 3 layers with a thickness of 20 to 30 cm. The lowest layer is created by horse manure, which decomposes to generate a lot of heat and warm the soil during seed germination. Put dry leaves or straw chaff on the manure layer. Tamp it all down well and top it with a layer of fertile soil and sow the seeds into it.
• From the beginning of March, we sow seeds for the production of vegetable seedlings. During this period, we plant cruciferous vegetables such as kohlrabi, cauliflower, head cabbage and broccoli. In March, we also sow butter and crispy lettuce, which we will transplant directly into the ground a bit later.
• In the second half of March, we sow peppers and tomatoes into pots or boxes. Remember that these plants require a lot of heat, and it will not be possible to plant them outside until the second half of May.
• If we produce the seedling at home, remember to provide it with the right amount of light. So the best place will be right next to the window.

• Beds with pre-winter sowing of vegetables, such as carrots, dill, parsley, vegetable spinach, garlic, should be covered with fleece or perforated foil. Thanks to this, you can speed up the emergence.
• If it is warm enough that the soil starts to thaw, you can add fertilizer to perennial vegetables and herbs.
• In the second half of the month, if it is warm enough, sow radishes in cold greenhouses, tunnels and frames. We can also plant early harvest lettuce, kohlrabi, cauliflower and early cabbage.
• Also, if it is warm, at the end of March we can sow the seeds of vegetables resistant to low temperatures, such as broad beans, peas, radishes, early carrots, dill, onions or garden chervil, which are not very popular though , it can successfully compete with parsley on our plates.
• At the end of March, lamb's lettuce can also be sown in the ground, as it tolerates low temperatures well and is an easy-to-grow vegetable with a short growing season (harvesting after only 2 months).

March in the ornamental garden

• From the beginning of March, if it is warm enough, we remove winter covers that protected ornamental plants against frosts and winds. Remember to take off your coats on cloudy days. Thanks to this, we will not expose the plants to excessive temperature fluctuations between sunny days and even cool nights at this time of the year.
• I always pay attention to desert plants because they start to grow in March, and young shoots pick up the winter cover by carrying them like an umbrella. If this is the case, I gently remove the compost layer and leave only a few twigs to keep the sun from scorching the delicate shoots. When frosts are announced, I protect the plants with a cardboard collar in such a way that the frost does not penetrate inside.

• In the ornamental garden, we begin to remove perennials left over from last year. All dried haulms are cut close to the ground and, if they do not show signs of disease, are transferred to a composter, where they will provide organic matter for the production of valuable humus. If we find stains, dripstones and deformities on the remains from last season, which indicate the presence of diseases - we burn them entirely or bury them deeply to remove a potential source of infection in the coming growing season.
• Prune shrubs that bloom in late spring and summer. Proper cutting of ornamental shrubs will guarantee intensive growth and a nice appearance of plants. Cut with a sharp pruner in warm and dry weather, taking care to leave a smooth place after cut branches (torn or crushed wounds take longer to heal and are a gateway for pathogenic bacteria and fungi to penetrate). We cut out all the sick, deformed, frozen shoots growing inside the bush.Remember that the quality of the cut is influenced not only by the correct cutting technique, but also by the use of appropriate cutting tools.
• Remove the winter covers and start cutting the rose bushes - we X-ray bush and climbing roses by removing the oldest shoots, cut out weak, old and dead shoots from all roses.
• Large-flowered roses can be pruned in two ways. To ensure large flowers, cut some of the shoots strongly for a few eyes - then the plants will bloom a little later. However, if we want early flowering, we shorten the shoots only slightly. In this way, we will be able to enjoy the flowers much earlier, but their size will be smaller compared to those that will develop on heavily trimmed shoots.
• Also, budleja requires a strong cut, for which he will repay us with beautiful flowers attracting butterflies and bees to the garden. We shorten it strongly, leaving only sections of shoots about 30 cm long.
• We check whether frost damage has occurred on sensitive species of shrubs and conifers, especially if we forgot to protect the trees against winter.We remove branches and shoots with visible frost damage. In young plants, we check the base of the trunks. In the case of longitudinal bark cracks, the damaged area is covered with garden ointment (e.g. Funaben 03 PA) and the tree crown is lightly trimmed, preferably at the turn of March and April.
• Under the conifers, we fill in the defects of pine bark, which improves the aesthetics of plantings and reduces the development of weeds. Pine bark also helps to keep the soil acidic, which is typical of most conifers.
• If the soil in the flower beds was not prepared in the fall, it must be done now - we dig compost, manure and garden peat with a spade several centimeters deep. Digging just around the plants can damage the roots, so we apply surface fertilization in these places, scattering compost or peat under the plants. Under shrubs and trees, we can place even a 15 cm layer of such mulch.
• In foil tunnels and frames we sow the seeds of marigold, Chinese astra, zinnia and lionfish.
• Seedlings of annual plants can also be prepared at home. The seeds are sown in boxes, pots or even yoghurt or cream cups, which are placed in a warm and bright place, e.g. on a window sill.
• If you started the production of seedlings in February, do not forget to pierce the seedlings.

• For many people, the production of seedlings seems too complicated. If you prefer to sow the seeds into the ground right away, for some plants you can do it at the end of March. When the ground is frozen and warm enough, we can sow, among others, in a permanent place. sweet peas, field poppy, black cumin, imperial cornflower.
• Water and frost make the topsoil compact in winter. In order for bulbous plants to grow he althy, the soil needs to be slightly loosened. We do this carefully so as not to damage the bulbs. Mini tools for gentle care of bedding plants will be useful for this type of activity.

• At the end of March, we fertilize the plants that begin their vegetation early. Thanks to this, we will provide them with the right amount of nutrients necessary for proper growth and development. We do it by spreading a few centimeters layer of compost on the flower beds, which will also serve as an excellent organic mulch to protect the soil against drying out and crusting after heavy rainfall. It will also act as a barrier against the germination of weed seeds, thus saving us the extra work of weeding. If we do not have enough compost, you can use granulated manure in the amount specified on the package or one of the multi-component fertilizers at a dose of 20 g / m².

• Bulbs that are already blooming or are about to start blooming should be fed with ammonium nitrate in the amount of 10g / m² and carefully mix the fertilizer with the top layer of soil around the plants. Ammonium nitrate is a very popular nitrogen fertilizer.We can also choose other nitrogen-rich fertilizers intended for bedding plants or universal.
• If the weather is favorable, we can divide the carps of daylilies, funkias, bush asters, as well as delphiniums, paniculate flames, rudbecks and garden varieties of goldenrod. The division even before the leaves develop favors better plant acceptance in a new place and a quick resumption of growth.

Flowers at home and on the balcony

• If in autumn we moved plants such as geraniums or fuchsia from the balcony to cold rooms, now is a good time to trim their shoots after wintering. Thanks to this, they will blossom nicely. We also begin to water them more abundantly and supply them with multi-component fertilizer. On the other hand, the cut off tops of the shoots can be rooted in moist sand mixed with peat. We should provide such seedlings with plenty of moisture and light.
• We keep an eye on the plants for the appearance of pests of potted plants, such as e.g.aphids. If they occur sporadically, we can remove them manually. However, if there are a lot of them, use one of the available ready-to-use spray preparations, such as Deltam AL 1L or Karate Spray 750 ml. Instead of chemicals, we can also choose a natural and safe for humans preparation, the natural Agrocover preparation, available as a convenient spray.
• We can sow annual flowers into small containers placed on the windowsill, e.g. marigolds and annual vines such as kobea, unbergia and wolf. If we already sowed the seeds in February, we need to quilt the seedlings at the end of March.
• When we are sure that no more frosts will occur, we can remove covers from perennials and shrubs overwintering on the balcony.
• We start transplanting potted plants, thanks to which our flowers will be able to start the next growing season in good conditions.

• When transplanting plants, add it to the hydrogel soil.It will prevent water loss (you can save up to 70% of water used for watering) and will reduce the frequency of watering plants. The addition of a hydrogel will prevent the plants from drying out when we cannot water them regularly (it will be useful during the vacation period).
• We can start sprinkling indoor plants, watering and fertilizing them more often. For most of them, the winter rest period is almost over.

Lawn in March

• Rake manure, compost and old leaves decomposed in autumn from the lawn.
• The lawn will now need oxygen from the air. Therefore, we should start caring for it intensively and perform treatments such as scarifying and aeration, i.e. aerating the lawn. To begin with, we perform scarification with devices that cut the turf vertically. During this treatment, we remove the remnants of dried blades and moss forming the so-called felt. Aeration is carried out after scarifying.We can prick small lawns with pitchforks. To ventilate larger lawns, it is worth using special devices called aerators.
• In the second half of March (preferably when you notice the first symptoms of growth), fill the lawn with fertilizer. Since nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus fertilization are both recommended, the easiest way is to simply use a compound fertilizer. The lawn should also be supplied with magnesium and calcium, for which dolomite is perfect.

How to plan work in the garden?

If you want to prepare as best as possible for gardening work for a given month and be sure that you will never miss anything important that needs to be done in the garden again, use the resourceful gardener's planner calendar book. It is a practical gardening guide with a gardening calendar for the whole year and a place for your own notes. More information in the description on our store's website: -)