Things to do this month

Things to do in the garden in March:

With warmth still in the ground and providing the Autumn rains appear, March is a good month for planting. Newly planted seedlings produce new growth quickly while new shrubs and trees begin their establishment phase by producing new roots right through the winter.

Flower garden. Plant Sweet Pea seeds. 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 Gigantic, 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.