Things to do this month
Things to do in the garden in March:
With warmth still in the ground, March is a good month for planting. Newly planted seedlings
and shrubs produce new growth quickly, while new shrubs and trees begin their establishment
phase by producing new roots right through the winter. Hopefully they will be deep down
before the hot days of next summer arrive.
Flower garden. Plant Sweet Pea seeds before the end of the month. Plant seeds of Viola,
Pansy, Calendula and Primula. Seedlings of Pansy and Viola planted now will begin to flower
early and then flower right through winter. Violas such as Micky, Honey Bee and Blue Porcelain
will flower right through until the end of November, especially if grown in pots. Select and
start planting spring flowering bulbs. Apply Kahuna to Camellias to improve the intensity of
colour of flowers as they appear mid-winter. Start to divide perennials as soon as possible after
rain.
Vegetable Garden. Prepare good garden beds before planting winter vegetables such as
Cauliflower, Cabbage and Broccoli. Planted in March, harvesting will begin in June. Dig plenty
of organic compost and manure, together with Seamungus, into the soil and then apply a good
dressing of lime, as most soils in the area are slightly acid and brassicas like a neutral pH.
Harvest and store seeds for planting next spring.
Home Orchard. Give all Citrus trees a dressing of a good Tree & Citrus fertiliser, such as
‘Giganic’, to swell the size of the fruit and improve sweetness. If the weather is dry, water the
fertiliser in thoroughly and remove all weeds from the base of the trees. Plant new or
replacement trees – Lemons, Oranges, Grapefruit and Mandarins, all do well in this local area.
Consider planting the two plum trees that cross pollinate, Satsuma and Mariposa. While
Satsuma is ideal for preserving, Mariposa plums are large and juicy.
Lawns. March and April are the best months to sow new Lawns, with seed usually germinating
in less than a week. Remember to include the essential a Lawn Starter fertiliser when sowing
