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{Link without Title} GARDEN TASKS FOR MARCH 2006 General garden care Prepare for outdoor sowings There is no need to dig soil deeply every year unless you want to incorporate more compost, gravel or other soil conditioners. Forking over the surface to remove old crops and weeds should be sufficient for most people. It may be worth investing in a few dozen bags of mushroom compost each year; this can simply be raked over the soil for the worms to work in over the coming weeks. Clean greenhouses and frames Wash frames and cloches inside and out with soapy water to clean away any build-up of dirt. This ensures maximum light passes through the glass of plastic to reach seedlings and crops at this dull time of year. Mulch Spread a mulch of garden compost around the base of fruit trees, shrubs and roses. Avoid piling the mulch up against their stems, as this could cause the bark to rot. Transplant evergreens The soil starts to warm up in March, so this is an ideal time to transplant evergreen shrubs and conifers or to plant new ones, including hedges. Planting early means new roots start to grow almost immediately, helping the plants to establish quickly. Paths and patios Use a pressure washer or chemical cleaner to clean paths, steps, paving and patios. Tools Check that mowers and garden machinery are in good working order and ready for the season ahead. Tidy ponds Clear away old plant debris from around the margins of ponds and use a net to scoop out any leaves that have fallen into the water. Create bowl arrangements Brighten up your home with a seasonal bowl arrangement. Try including such plants as ferns, hypoestes, kalanchoes, ivies or spider plants, and individual plants can be replaced to ring the changes. The Flower garden Prune shrubs Many shrubs will benefit from a trim this month to keep them tidy and encourage new growth. Shorten the shoots of cape fuchsia, cutting back to strong sideshoots, shaping the plant and relieving congestion. Trim over lanky winter-flowering jasmine, Jasminum nudiflorum plants and tie in long shoots to their supports to tidy the display. Hard pruning Hard prune tall old stems on Buddleja davidii, Leycesteria formosa and other fast-growing shrubs that flower on new wood. Many dogwoods and willows, grown as clumps and valued for their colourful winter stems, should also be cut back hard now, right down to a stubby base, about 30cm (12in) from the ground. Other shrubs that respond well to hard pruning include the golden-leaved elder, smoke bush and purple hazel, which will then produce fresh young growth and often brighter and larger leaves. Keep spring pots looking good A little attention to spring-flowering pots will ensure they look their best right through until May. Pick off dead flower-heads from primulas and winter-flowering pansies to encourage plants to develop further flowers. Also pick off the faded heads from spring bulbs, such as daffodils, but leave their foliage intact. Compost in pots can also dry out, so check with a finger to see how moist it is, and water well if it has dried out. Heathers Clip old flowers off winter-flowering heathers. Take care not to trim back into old wood. Soil preparation Continue forking over the soil between shrubs, teasing compost into the surface. Prepare areas where summer bedding will be planted out in late May. Roses Complete rose pruning in March before they start into strong growth. Shorten all shoots, cutting back to an outward-facing bud. Summer bulbs Many summer-flowering bulbs can be planted in March and April. In mild areas, dahlia tubers can be planted outside, covered with about 10cm (4in) of soil. In cold regions, delay planting until later in April. In the coming months, plant groups of gladioli at intervals to extend their flowering season. Grow lilies in pots so that they can be moved into the garden to fill any gaps. Boost your borders If you have any gaps in borders you can drop in your blooming pots or aquatic baskets or they can be dropped into the top of an ornamental patio pot. A succession of these pots will provide blooms right through spring. Once flowering is over they can be moved from their prime location. Keep them well-fed and watered, and allow the bulbs to die down naturally. Look after them well and they'll reward you with more blooms next spring. Alternatively, you can sow quick-growing hardy annuals directly into the soil during April. Spring bulbs Mark any congested clumps that have flowered poorly with a label to remind you to lift and divide them later in the year. Give every clump of bulbs a thorough soaking with a liquid feed. Snowdrops Divide any congested clumps, spacing out the bulbs when replanting. Plant them fairly deeply, watering in well with a liquid feed. Mulch Spread a thick layer of compost or well-rotted manure as a mulch around established shrubs and along the base of hedges to help conserve moisture in the soil and keep down annual weeds. Sweet peas Sow sweet peas outside where you want them to flower. The Greenhouse Time to get sowing Sow tomato plants in a warm place for growing in unheated greenhouses or planting outside in early June. Also sow aubergines, capsicum, celeriac, peppers and celery. Cucumbers and melons can be sown in late April. Half-hardy bedding plants can also be sown this month in trays in the greenhouse or on window-sills. When the seedlings are large enough to handle, prick out into small individual pots or space out in seed trays. If bushy plants need more space, pot up on their own. Water regularly and feed weekly. Hanging baskets Plant up baskets with fuchsias and tender perennials, then hang them in the greenhouse to develop. Herb cuttings Tip out pots of well-rooted cuttings taken last summer and pot them up separately. Summer bulbs Buy bulbs, such as eucomis and begonias, from garden centres to grow in pots for extra summer flower colour. Cannas A variety of dormant canna rhizomes are available online and from mail order and garden centres. Pot up into 15cm (6in) pots, grow on in a heated greenhouse and plant out in June. Begonias Continue planting tubers in pots in the greenhouse. Always ensure the slightly concave surface of the begonia tuber is uppermost, and just cover with compost. Pot on as plants grow, feeding weekly. Cauliflower Prick out seedlings from earlier sowings, spacing them out in seed trays to grow on for planting out later in the spring. The Kitchen garden Outdoor sowings Crops to sow outdoors or under cloches include broad beans, beetroots, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbages, leeks, lettuces, hardy peas and radishes. Tomatoes Tomatoes are one vegetable or fruit no garden should be without. Many varieties can be grown outside in summer, with some even thriving in patio pots or hanging baskets. The earliest crops will develop on plants grown under glass, ideally in a heated greenhouse, but an unheated one will do. Tomatoes are easy to grow from seed, so start sowing now to raise indoor varieties. Sow in a heated propagator to encourage quick germination or grow on a windowsill. To raise outdoor varieties, sow later in March, potting on as plants grow. Plant them out in early June. Sowings can be made in April, but plants will flower and fruit far later than those that were sown earlier. Our guide to growing tomatoes will give you more tips. Strawberries Home-grown strawberries are a welcome summer treat and runners planted now should flower in order to fruit this year. Choose several different varieties to spread the harvest season from June until late summer. Rooted runners, sometimes called crowns, are best obtained from specialist fruit nurseries. Plants should be spaced 45cm (18in) apart in rows about 75cm (2.5ft) apart. When working out how much space you will need, remember that you'll need enough room to get between rows for picking. You can plant through a layer of black polythene to control weeds, but this looks rather unsightly. Covering plants with cloches will encourage earlier flowering, but do open cloches during the day to allow insects to pollinate the flowers. Seed potatoes Set out seed potatoes in trays and stand in a cool, bright position for shoots to form. Early varieties can be planted in March, but plant main-crop potatoes later in April. Shallots Plant shallot sets in March, spacing them at 15cm (6in) intervals in rows 30cm (12in) apart. When the conditions have warmed up in late March, onion sets can be planted out into a firm seedbed. Planting trees Finish planting bare-rooted fruit trees by the end of March. Container-grown trees can be planted out at any time of year. Early blossom Protect flowers on trained or compact fruit trees on frosty nights. Remove covers in the day for insects to reach the blooms. Hand-pollinate the flowers of peaches and nectarines with a soft brush. Outdoor trees will also benefit from a fortnightly spray against peach-leaf curl. Rhubarb Cover rhubarb with forcing jars or old buckets to exclude light and encourage long tender stalks. Celery Sow seed in pots in the greenhouse during March and April to raise plants that you can plant out from May to June. |
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