Seasonal jobs for March
Digging continues apace; perennial weeds will need to be dug out. A sharp hoe can be put to good use decapitating the first flush of annual weeds.
Potatoes should be chitting: the traditional day for planting is Good Friday which falls on 7th April this year.
Rhubarb can be forced under a bucket to yield an early (and tender) crop.
Autumn raspberries should be cut down to the ground and the fruited canes on summer raspberries should be pruned out.
Aubergines, tomatoes, chillies and peppers can be sown in heat or under glass.
Bare root asparagus and strawberries can be planted as can onion and shallot sets.
Beetroot, parsnips and chard can be sown on open ground if conditions allow.
Annuals such as cornflowers, zinnias and cosmos can be sown under cover for transplanting.
Dahlia tubers should be potted up and kept under cover until the frosts have left us later in the year. Dahlias for cuttings should be in a frost-free environment and will be starting back into growth.