Judy's Garden Calendar March
Autumn’s here at last. Autumn’s usually the best season for gardening.
Vegies to sow in March
Peas of all sorts can be sown in most areas in March. Yates seed range includes dwarf Greenfeast, Earlicrop Massey and Novella. Novella’s pods grow right at the top of bush, which makes them very easy to harvest.
Don’t forget, too, climbing Sugarsnap and Snowpeas. Both are delicious, either cooked or raw.
Flowers to sow in March
Delphiniums are renowned for their tall spikes studded with single or double blooms. They’re often most appreciated in a vase, but they’re equally at home making a statement in the garden. Sow Yates Delphinium Pacific Giants into pots or seed trays and transplant the seedlings when they’re a good size to handle.
Feed in March
Early March is the perfect time to feed everything in the garden, especially in those areas where heavy summer rains have leached the goodness out of the soil.
Yates Nutricote is a long-lasting controlled release plant food that can continue feeding for up to nine months. But in regions where it cools down rapidly in autumn, it’s better to choose something fast acting like soluble Thrive or Nitrosol.
Fast-acting, soluble or liquid fertilisers don’t last long so be prepared to continue applying every couple of weeks until the cold weather really sets in.
March pest watch
Hibiscus and their relatives, such as abutilons and mallows, are troubled by a number of pests including caterpillars, leaf rollers and flea beetles.
It’s difficult to keep these plants pest free but an occasional spray with Yates Rose Gun or Nature’s Way Pyrethrum will clean up most of these problems. Don’t forget, though, that once an individual leaf is spoilt, it will never regain its good looks. Better to trim lightly, feed, and encourage healthy new growth that’s hole-free.
Prune in March
Trim dead sections out of grey-leafed plants such as lavender and wormwood. At the same time, lightly prune the outside of the clump (don’t cut into bare wood). Spread some lime around the base of each plant.
March job file
Pick and dry the last of the basil before it’s spoilt by the cold nights. Or, rather than drying, paint both sides of the leaves with olive oil, wrap in plastic and freeze. Neither method will give you basil that tastes as good as it does when fresh, but you’ll have at least some of that distinctive flavour to add to winter dishes.
Harvest ripe pumpkins and leave them out to harden their skins in the sun.
Plant of the month – Echinacea
With its mauve-pink daisies, echinacea makes a great show in the garden but is most often grown for its medicinal properties. The American Indians used its roots as an antibiotic treatment for a variety of ailments, including snakebite.
If you don’t want to uproot the plants, you can infuse the leaves to make a medicinal tea – or just enjoy the flowers!
