Mzzz B's March Garden Blog

February Gold Daffodils

Crocuses

Daffodils need not just be bright yellow, lots of varieties are palelemon!

The days are getting longer, birds are singing, daffodils in flower, yet we are still having cold nights, so just hold on to your packets of seed until the soil gets a chance to warm up, especially those of you who have cold clay soils. Fortunately my garden is mostly sandy loam, not so good for roses or cabbages but it does warm up quicker and is not waterlogged.

Soil is one of the most important elements in your garden, and to be a successful gardener you need to get to know your soil. You can buy kits to test whether it is acidic or alkaline, but most of the soils in this area are on the acid side of neutral. So lots of buttercups, and rhododendrons manage. But again those brassicas prefer a more alkaline/ limey soil – I do throw some lime onto the veg garden to increase its alkalinity, in the hope that brassicas will grow better. But over the years I have come to realise that you cannot really change your soil so it is best to work with it and grow things that are happiest. If you want to grow things that are not suited to your soil grow them in a pot with specialist compost.

You can improve the water retention of sandy soil buy adding home made compost each year to build up the humous content, and you can improve the drainage in clay by adding compost and grit. This helps to open up the soil and stop it setting like concrete in a drought. Soil is one of the most precious things in your garden so it pays to get to know it and take care of it!

Jobs to do in March

• Cut back dogwood, willows and continues to promote new growth.
• At end of month plant lilies and other summer flowering bulbs
• Sow native wildflowers in modules or pots to produce plants for a mini meadow, or wait til soil warms up and sow direct.
• Check roses etc for early signs of aphids and squish!
• Cover veg plot with plastic or old carpet to warm it up prior to planting out potatoes towards middle or end of month.
• Plant onion sets and shallots.
• As soon as soil warms up sow parsnips, they are slow to germinate so sow radishes long side to mark row and get an early crop of salad
• In greenhouse sow seeds of lettuce, parsley, celery and celeriac to start them off early
• Sow dwarf beans in a large pot in the greenhouse to get a crop in June
• Blackcurrants need a high nitrogen fertilise at this time of year
• Start mowing lawns when grass starts to grow.

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