Spring Ahead with These Plants to Grow in March!
Posted on March 08 2023
Great things to grow this March
Flower seeds to germinate and grow
For the greenhouse or indoors:
- To achieve colourful summer and autumn borders, consider starting ageratum, aster, cosmos, celosia, petunia, and salvia by using a heated propagator or a warm windowsill. Additionally, you can sow dahlia seeds indoors to be planted out in summer, and these will produce tubers that can be harvested in the autumn.
- To improve the chances of germination for cleome seeds, sow them indoors on a windowsill or in an unheated greenhouse. The seeds require fluctuating temperatures to sprout, so exposing them to a drop in temperature at night is crucial.
- To add a splash of colour to your garden, start to sow annual, perennial and biennial seeds now
- Plant begonia tubers in greenhouse this month just below compost surface with indented side up.
- Repot orchids and other house plants before they start into active growth again.
- To create attractive displays around pergolas and fences during the summer, begin growing climbing annuals such as Thunbergia 'Arizona Trio' indoors.
Direct sow outdoors
- Sow hardy annual seeds, including Clarkia, sunflowers, stocks (Matthiola incana), poppies, and cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus), directly into a sunny border or outdoor pots.
- Sow wildflower seed mixtures directly into sunlit, raked soil to promote a colourful and bee-and-butterfly-friendly environment.
-
Plant sweet pea seeds directly into an outdoor bed, and remember to provide support for the seedlings once they begin
to climb.
Plant outdoors
- Plant bare-root roses straight into their flowering position.
- Continue to plant deciduous trees.
- Transplant any flower bulbs that were forced indoors, like hyacinths and daffodils, and have finished flowering, into your garden. These bulbs will blossom outdoors next spring.
- Lift and divide established perennial plants - this improves vigour and will create new plants for your garden.
- Add some summer-flowering bulbs, such as gladiolus, lilies, and ranunculus, to your garden beds, borders, or containers. For lilies, plant them at a depth of three times their length to protect them from heat and improve their stability.
- While snowdrops are typically planted in autumn, 'Snowdrops in the green' can be planted in spring to add a pop of color to your winter garden next year. It is best to plant them in shady, moist areas.
- For stunning summer color and cut flowers, plant border perennials such as agapanthus and alstroemeria. Alternatively, try our 'perfect for pollinators' perennial selection to attract beneficial insects to your spring and summer garden.
Vegetables and herbs to sow and grow
In the greenhouse/indoors
- Kickstart the growth of aubergine, sweet pepper, cucumbers, gherkins, and mild chilli plants by starting their seeds in a propagator. These plants can remain in the greenhouse throughout summer.
- Prepare for greenhouse cultivation of tomatoes by planting a variety of their seeds under glass. Check out our tomato selector guide to help you choose from a range of sizes, colours, and flavours.
- Give tender celery a head start by sowing its seeds in seed trays in the greenhouse.
- Ensure a long growing season for celeriac by sowing its seeds under cover.
- Ready winter brassicas like cauliflower and Brussels sprouts for planting out later in spring by starting their seeds in a
cold greenhouse.
- Enjoy fresh, healthy leaves by sowing salad seeds in pots and placing them on the windowsill. Try recycling yoghurt pots
as containers.
- Cultivate basil seeds on your kitchen windowsill. These plants can remain indoors or be planted out after the risk of frost
has passed.
- Sow seeds for perennial herbs like lemon balm, rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme under cover.
- Prepare for potato planting by chitting (sprouting) seed potatoes upon delivery.
In the cold frame/under cloches
- Sow lettuce and radish seeds into the garden under cloches for your first salad of the season.
Direct sow outdoors
- Plant early varieties of broad beans, such as 'The Sutton' or 'De Monica'
- Directly sow beetroot, carrot, chicory, Swiss chard, spinach, and spring onion into light, stone-free soil for summer harvesting. If mice are a problem, sow seeds into modules for potting out after seedlings have developed true leaves.
- To achieve an early crop of turnips, sow their seeds in rows 30cm apart once the soil is workable. Consider trying the 'Milan Purple Top' variety, which produces attractive purple roots and edible leaves.
- For a unique and quickly maturing vegetable, try sowing kohl rabi outdoors. Remember to provide ample water as the stems expand. Every part of this versatile vegetable is edible.
- Early pea varieties such as 'Avola', which have a compact growth habit, are suitable for pots on the patio or even hanging baskets.
- To yield a late summer or early autumn harvest, sow kale seeds and autumn cabbages such as 'Champion' and 'Greyhound'.
- Begin growing herb seeds in the kitchen garden. Consider sowing well-known favourites such as chives, coriander, dill, and parsley directly into the soil. Alternatively, try something new, such as the herb 'Good King Henry' as a spinach alternative, or bronze fennel, which produces edible foliage, seeds, and bulbs.
Plant outdoors
- To grow Jerusalem artichokes, plant their tubers once the soil is workable, making sure to plant them at a depth of 10-15cm.
- For asparagus, plant crowns in well-prepared permanent beds. Dig a trench about 20-25cm deep and 30cm wide, and carefully place the crowns 45cm apart, ensuring that the emerging buds are just below soil level. These crowns can continue to produce for up to 25 years after establishment.
- When the risk of frost has passed, plant onion, shallot, and garlic sets in all types of soil.
- To grow early potatoes, plant chitted tubers outside in the ground. If you don't have enough space for growing potatoes in your plot, read our article on how to grow potatoes in bags.
Fruit to sow and grow
In the greenhouse/indoors
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For optimal growth, plant rhubarb in rich and fertile soil.
- To enjoy an attractive and pest-free crop this summer, plant strawberry plants in the ground or in hanging baskets.
- For apple and pear trees, select a sheltered location with full sun to plant them.
- To produce fruit that's ideal for eating and making preserves, plant stone-fruit trees such as plum, cherry, and apricot.
Keep one step ahead — what to order this month:
Stay ahead of the game and plan ahead with these monthly orders:
- Next month, plan to sow strawberry seeds indoors and consider ordering them now.
- Order garden plants as plugs for direct planting and consider adding some easy feed or plug boost to give them the best possible start.
- For scented summer bedding plants such as stocks and alyssum, order them now and plan to plant them out in late May.
- Order climbing perennials to grow as potted plants that will be ready to plant out in the coming weeks.