March Garden Guide

IN THE EDIBLE GARDEN

In March you can plant the following in most areas of the country… beetroot, blueberry, bok choi, broad bean, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, carrot, celery, coriander, feijoa, kale, leeks, lemon, lettuce, lime, mandarin, mesclun, onion, orange, parsley, radish, rocket, silverbeet, spinach, spring onion. This lovely late-summer, early autumn period is a great time for sowing winter veg crops, as the temperatures are cooling but the soil is still warm enough for quick germination.

As the season begins to turn and we look towards our winter veg, keep crop rotation in mind. Try not to plant veg from the same family in the same spot each year. Each growing season you should plant each 'family' of vegetables in a different position in the garden; read more on crop rotation here.

HARVESTING

Regularly harvest the last of your berries, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and cucumbers. Picking fruit and veg each day encourages late fruiting & growth (and also helps to keep pests at bay).

Potatoes are ready for harvest when the tops have died back. Your pumpkins may be ready this month too.

Kumara is ready to dig up once the leaves start to yellow. Dig up 1 or 2 to start with and check for things like size and firmness. Cut one in half and watch how quickly the cut sides dry - if they dry fast, the kumara is ready for harvest & storage.

Dig up onions when the tops have gone brown. If the weather is good, leave them out on top of the garden bed to dry out for a few days - this helps them store better.

IN THE FLOWER GARDEN

Pull up your summer annuals once they have finished flowering (sunflowers, cosmos, marigold etc.)

Plant winter flower seedlings such as snapdragon, alyssum, cosmos, pansy, poppies, viola, primula, polyanthus, cornflower, calendula, cineraria, lobelia, sweet peas, marigolds, etc.

Deadhead / pick zinnias, roses, dahlias, echinacea, gladiolus, lilies, scabious, sweet peas.

Your favourite spring flowering bulbs are in garden centres now! Getting some early bloomers in now means you’ll be able to enjoy early spring colour:

• Plant daffodil bulbs any time from late February to the end of May.
• Pick a cool spot for your hyacinth bulbs and plant throughout March and April.
• Other bulbs to plant now include crocus, bluebells, tulips, snowdrops and freesias.
• If you particularly like one type of flower, stagger your planting of that one variety. By planting a number every two weeks you’ll find you can extend your blooms (and picking) by a month to six weeks. Read more on that here.
• Most spring-flowering bulbs need consistent cool temperatures over winter (below 10°C during the day) in order to produce a flower bud. If you live in a warmer area you’ll likely need to pre-chill your bulbs before getting them in the ground; read more on pre-chilling here.

Use a bulb planter (like this one from Sneeboer) for the most efficient planting!

TASKS THIS MONTH...

☑ Seed saving: Save seeds from tomatoes, cucumbers, melons, beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and courgettes. Dry & store in labelled envelopes so they’re ready for spring-time sowing. We also have gorgeous Seed Storage Tins to help you keep things organised.

☑ Preparing your garden beds: It’s important to revitalise your soil after a busy growing season. You can do this by digging in some organic matter (compost, manure, seaweed, etc.) or by sowing some cover crops. Cover crops (like this clover blend) add nutrients back into the soil, and the nitrogen improves soil structure. You can read more about the benefits of cover cropping & how to do it here.

☑ Make the most of the warmer temperatures and abundant organic matter at the moment by composting! Fresh compost is the BEST way to improve your soil, and in turn your garden. If you don’t already have a compost bin, check out our range here.

☑ Divide your perennial herbs: thyme, chives, rosemary, sage.