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This month in the garden

This month there are signs of the approaching spring, with bulbs appearing and birds and wildlife waking up as light levels and temperatures increase. There's plenty to do indoors this month, all in preparation for the season ahead. Outdoors, the garden is coming to life again, and its time to prune shrubs, such as Wisteria.

Sowing and planting

Dahlia tubers stored over winter (or bought this year) can be started into growth. Place them in a light, warm place to sprout before planting. They will need additional misting with a spray-bottle of water, to stop them drying out.

Lily bulbs can be planted in pots, for flowers this summer. After growing on indoors or in a cool greenhouse, they can be moved onto the patio when in flower, so that you can enjoy the blooms.

Bulbs coming up in the rock garden or in containers may benefit from overhead protection from the rain and snow. A sheet of glass or Perspex placed on piles of bricks will do the job.

Hardy annuals can be sown in pots or modules to provide colour.

Summer-flowering Dutch iris bulbs can be forced and used as cut flowers.

Place gladioli corms in seed trays or boxes and place in a light, warm (around 10ºC/50ºF) spot to encourage them to sprout before planting. This will ensure an earlier display.

Sweet peas can be sown under cloches, in a cold frame, or in a cool room in the house. Any sweet peas that were sown earlier in the autumn can now be potted.

Root cuttings can be taken of Papaver (perennial poppies), Verbascum (mullein), Acanthus (bear’s britches) and Phlox.

Soft tip cuttings can be taken from fuchsias this month.

If you do have any seedlings and/or cuttings in the greenhouse, make sure they are getting the maximum light available, or else they will become weak and leggy. If necessary, turn them once a day so that they get light on both sides. This will stop them leaning over towards the light, and keep them upright and compact.

Don’t forget to prick out seedlings before they get too crowded, and then to pot them on as individual transplants as soon as they are large enough.

Plug plants are now available for sale. They can be grown on in your glasshouse, being a relatively cheap source of large numbers of plants, while avoiding the need for propagation facilities and labour.

 

Cutting back, pruning and dividing

Prune winter-flowering shrubs that have finished flowering.

Divide bulbs such as snowdrops, and plant those that need planting 'in the green'.

Prune hardy evergreen hedges and renovate overgrown deciduous hedges.
Prune conservatory climbers.

Cut back deciduous grasses left uncut over the winter.

 

Lawn Care

If the weather is warm, you may need to start mow. Set the cutting height at its maximum, and only mow when the grass is dry.

Re-cut lawn edges to crisp up the appearance of the garden and save work later in the season.

Turf can be laid, provided the soil is not too wet or frosty. Work from planks, to avoid compacting the soil. Do not walk on the newly laid turf and leave undisturbed for several weeks to allow new roots to establish.

Prepare seed beds for new lawns to be seeded later in the spring, but only attempt this if the ground is not too wet.
 

General

Continue to deadhead winter-flowering pansies and other winter bedding. Pansies will carry on into the spring and even to early summer, if attended to frequently.

Improve soil by spreading compost or manure over beds and forking in.

If snow falls, knock it off the branches of evergreen shrubs and conifers to prevent branches breaking under its weight.

Consider purchasing water butts (available in many sizes from Poplar Nurseries) now ready for the summer. Rainwater is particularly useful for watering acid-loving, ericaceous plants (tap water is often slightly alkaline).

 

Edibles

Harvest parsnips and leeks.

If you'd like to grow early peas, place a cloche over the soil to let it warm up for a few weeks prior to sowing.

Start chitting (sprouting) early potatoes - stand them on end in a module tray or egg box and place in a bright cool frost-free place.  (We have lots of seed potato varieties to choose from.)

You can start growing potatoes in containers under cover for a very early crop ( Charlotte potatoes are a good variety for this).

If your greenhouse is unheated, protect your potato grow bags with horticultural fleece on cold nights.

Net fruit and vegetable crops to keep the birds off.