This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and wildlife waking up as day length and temperatures increase. There’s plenty to do indoors this month to prepare for the season ahead. Outdoors, as the garden comes to life again, it’s time to prune certain shrubs and climbers, such as Wisteria.
Top gardening jobs this month
1. Prepare vegetable seed beds, and sow some vegetables under cover
Knowing which vegetables to sow where, when and how means you can maintain constant supplies throughout the season.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/seeds-sowing
2. Chit potato tubers
It’s important with earlies, and a good idea with maincrops, to ‘chit’ the seed potatoes before planting. This means allowing them to start sprouting shoots.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/vegetables/potatoes/grow-your-own
3. Protect blossom on apricots, nectarines and peaches
Most top fruit and soft fruit are very hardy but once they start into growth in spring, flowers and buds are especially vulnerable to frost and may need protection to crop well.
https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/fruit-trees/frost-protection
More jobs for this month
- Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off
- Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering
- Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting ‘in the green’
- Prune Wisteria
- Renovate overgrown hedges with pruning
- Prune conservatory climbers such as bougainvillea
- At end of month, start cutting back deciduous ornamental grasses to allow new growth to come through
With permissions from RHS Hyde Hall