Gardening tips

At last, we hear you cry! There’s a glimmer of hope on the horizon as the weather tempts us back outdoors and it’s officially time to kick start your garden into action! This guide is intended for the southern part of the UK and our slightly warmer weather pattern. Don’t forget that the clocks go forward on Easter Sunday 31 March too!

Flowers

  • Feed trees, shrubs and roses. Always double check you select the correct type of fertiliser for the plant!
  • Deadhead hellebores, daffodils and primroses to keep them flowering longer.
  • Plant summer-flowering bulbs such as gladiolus, lilies and ranunculus into beds, borders and containers. Lily bulbs should be planted at 3 times their own length – this will protect them from heat and improve stability.

Veg

  • Begin by chitting your first early seed potatoes in a light, cool, and frost-free location so that they are ready for planting.
  • Thoroughly weed and then top up all your veg planters and raised beds with peat free compost and good quality topsoil.
  • Start off aubergine, capsicum varieties and cucumbers in the propagator — these plants can stay in the greenhouse over summer.
  • Plant a variety of tomato seeds under glass for greenhouse cultivation.
  • Start salad leaf seedlings off next to a bright windowsill at the end of March.

Fruit

  • Prune blueberry bushes.
  • Apply a nitrogen feed to plums, cherries, cooking apples and pears as they’re hungry at this time of year.
  • Switch to a summer feed for all citrus trees.
  • Sow summer fruiting strawberries in hanging baskets.
  • Plant rhubarb into rich fertile soil.
  • Protect early fruit blossom from frost by covering with fleece.

Wild bird care

  • Avoid cutting hedges between March and August so as not to disturb any nesting species.
  • Keep feeding them nutrient rich seeds and fat balls.

Pest control

  • Place humane vermin controls near stored vegetables.
  • Protect early seed sowings from slugs.
  • Scrub your watering cans with hot soapy water to prevent fungal diseases.

Pond

  • Install a new pond or water feature to attract more wildlife into your garden.
  • Remove any pond netting left over from the autumn/winter.

Lawn

  • Mow your lawn if it needs it. Choose a dry day and set your blades to a higher setting than usual.
  • Lay new turf if the ground needs it and isn’t frozen or waterlogged.

Houseplants

  • For a healthier and cleaner houseplant, wipe down its leaves once a month to remove dust.