Now’s the time for cleaning up in the garden

1. Elf  ‘n’ safetee

• Frosts can still be a hazard, so keep vulnerable plants protected at night if frost is forecast (fleece or cloches). March winds are also ferocious so make sure exposed plants are well supported.

• Remove moss and weeds from paths, terraces and driveways. Dissolve washing soda crystals in hot water and brush over paths and patios to remove green algae – it’s cheaper than specialist treatments off the garden centre shelf.

• Protect new spring shoots from slugs. There is a wide range of possible methods – why not  try an organic one?

Fork over your borders

2. Making your bed

• Prepare seed beds – lightly fork and rake over to achieve a fine tilth, removing larger stones,weeds etc..

• On your borders clear up any remaining dead stems, leaves etc. and then weed, fork over and add nutrients – incorporate as much organic matter as you can. You can add a mulch on top of the bare soil to suppress further weeds and keep moisture in.  This might be of composted bark (at least a year old to avoid it removing nutrients from the soil). A 5cm deep layer, spread before the soil dries out, and with newspapers between the soil and the mulch, will slow down the rate the bark decomposes, so it could last for 2 – 3 years.

• Thawing and freezing conditions may have  lifted some plants – give any that have risen out of the soil a gentle firm around the stem.

Now’s the time to divide and transplant perennials

3. Moving on – position your plants

• Late March/early April is a good time to transplant shrubs and trees – as soon as the soil is workable, but before buds have swelled or broken open.

• Divide and transplant summer perennials and fertilize established ones as soon as new growth appears.

• Plant summer – flowering bulbs and tubers (e.g. gladiola, lilies and dahlias). You can continue planting additional bulbs every couple of weeks until mid June to ensure a longer flowering period.

• Check that any plants growing against the house walls and under the eaves or under tall evergreens have sufficient moisture – incorporating organic matter will help with moisture retention.

• Plant ornamental grasses (or lift, divide and replant existing ones) and mix them in with your shrubs and perennials.

• Plant shallots, onion sets and early potatoes towards the end of the month

• This is the best time to move snowdrops – “in the green”. Once the flowers have faded dig up the plants, take care not to damage the bulb or the foliage. Tease out the bulbs into smaller groups and replant them straight away at the same depth, watering to settle the soil around the roots.

• Plant Primroses and Pansies.

Onion sets can be planted out

4. Cut above – pruning for growth

• Cut back winter shrubs and generally tidy up around the garden.

• Cut back established Penstemons.

• Prune winter Jasmine after flowering.

• Cut Honeysuckle back to strong buds about 1m above ground and remove some older stems to encourage new growth at the base.

• Finish pruning fruit trees before the buds swell.

• Roses can be pruned this month – and start feeding them (all-purpose fertiliser and/or manure).

• Remove any plain green stems from variegated shrubs otherwise they will eventually all revert to green.

 5. Stake out

• Gather sticks or buy plant supports and get them in place around perennials that are likely to need support – best do it now so you don’t trample on surrounding new growth in the border and before the plants grow too tall or bushy to put in supports easily. Try making ‘lobster pot’ shapes over the plant base by weaving pliable willow, dog wood or hazel cuttings from coppiced plants – these look more natural than metal supports.

6. Feed and Weed

• Give bulbs that have finished blooming some fertilizer – a ‘bulb booster’ or bone meal.

• Top dress containers with fresh compost.

• Fertilize shrubs and trees if this wasn’t done in February.

• Use an Ericaceous fertilizer to feed acid-loving evergreens, conifers, rhododendrons, azaleas and camellias.

• Use an all-purpose fertilizer for deciduous trees and shrubs – Bonemeal and/or Fish, Blood and Bone are ideal..

• Fruit trees and bushes will benefit from a high potash feed (wood ashes is one source) – a liquid feed of tomato fertilizer on the strawberries is also well worth a try!

• Regularly hoe vegetable beds so that weeds are not taking any available moisture or nutrients.

• Mulch all fruit with your own compost or well-rotted farm manure, making sure it does not touch the stems, as this can cause rot.

• Turnover your compost pile to encourage new activity and generate future supplies of compost to feed your garden!

• Pot indoor plants into bigger pots if they need a ‘refresh’ or if the roots have filled the existing pot. Increase the frequency of feeding indoor plants (high nitrogen feed for plants grown for their leaves and high potash for those grown for their flowers).

Seeds can be sown in trays or open ground – or in these modules for easier transplanting

7. Sow, sow, sow

• Sow seeds of summer plants indoors, in propagators or in trays or modules on window cills or other light, frost – free places.

• Sow seeds outdoors once the soil has warmed up (use cloches or coverings a week or two before you sow to warm the soil) – only plant small amounts of veg that you actually like to eat and choose well – tried, hardy veg varieties that don’t mind the cold – carrots, peas, broad beans, spinach, radish, parsnips and leeks.

• You’ll need labels, finely raked soil and a string line or cane to help you sow straight – and ensure you sow at the right depth and spacing.

8. Grassed up

• Repair damaged lawns with new seeding or turf – choose the right grass mix for your situation and expected use.

• Make it easier to mow your lawn by eliminating sharp, awkward corners – create curves that you can mow round.

• Remove a circle of grass from the base of trees in the lawn (ideally at least 1m diameter, but possibly more for bigger trees), and mulch with chopped bark/compost. It will take less time to cut round the trees, the trees will benefit from the cleared space underneath, and you’ll avoid colliding with and damaging the tree trunk.

• As soon as possible start cutting the grass. If it has not been cut since last autumn it will be long, tufted – and probably hard work! Choose a dry day, and once the soil has dried out sufficiently. Cut it to about 5cm and remove the cuttings, and on the same day (or soon after), cut it again to half this height. .

9. Critter care

• Buy or make nesting boxes to attract birds to your garden (see simple construction pic from the British Trust for Ornithology opposite).   Hang them on a wall rather than from trees if you have cats in the area.

• Carry on putting food out for birds but make sure there are now no large pieces – these are potentially harmful to fledglings.

• Keep the bird bath topped up with water

• If your wildlife pond does not have any frogspawn try to get some from another pond that has plenty. Check any submersible pumps and clean filters. Thin out oxygenating plants

10. Dear diary

• Get a notebook and use it to keep important gardening information; what you plant in the garden, where you got it from; planting /transplanting dates; harvesting dates and quantity/ quality of the crops. Also record any pest or disease problems, what was done and how effective this was. All this information will be helpful in planning your garden in future years.

Old School Gardener

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