Garden Calendar - March

In March, the period of spring awakening in the garden begins. The first blooms of snowdrops and crocuses appear in gardens soon after the snow melts. Gardeners eagerly wait until they can fully dive into gardening again. After the snow melts, there is plenty of work in the garden, and you must assess the damage caused by winter. Plants that were well protected for winter and survived need to be uncovered and provided with spring care. Pre-cultivated seedlings are already crowding in their growing trays, so it's advisable to prick them out into individual pots. If the weather permits, it's possible to carry out the first outdoor sowings of vegetable and ornamental flower seeds at the end of March. As you can see, you definitely won't be bored in the garden in March!

Which seeds to sow in March?

There are many seeds suitable for March sowing. Since it's still winter in March, seeds of more delicate plants are sown in growing trays placed indoors (pre-cultivation). In March, you can still sow most types of brassica vegetables to obtain pre-cultivated seedlings. Sow seeds of broccoli, kale, cabbage, late kohlrabi, cauliflower, and savoy cabbage in your growing facility. Space on windowsills should gradually become available as young seedlings are transplanted into pots and moved to cold frames or greenhouses.

You can sow seeds of most varieties of tomatoes and peppers in pots. Sow radish seeds directly in the ground in the greenhouse or cold frame. After the snow melts and spring soil cultivation, you can plant early varieties of carrots, parsley, and peas directly in beds in warmer areas. Sprouted plants will be protected from the cold by non-woven fabric stretched over the beds. If you have already moved pre-cultivated seedlings to the greenhouse, make sure the temperature doesn't drop below freezing. Non-woven fabric will ensure thermal comfort for young seedlings during colder nights, just as it does in the beds.

Which garden tasks not to forget in March?

The main garden tasks in March are seed sowing and spring care for overwintered plants. After the final snow melt and slight drying of the garden, you can head out to inspect the garden and start assessing the damage caused by winter. Gardeners who prepared carefully for winter should have minimal losses. Unfortunately, sometimes winter is so harsh that even the best preparation doesn't help. Dead plants or their parts must be removed or pruned in spring. Grasses that you only tied together in autumn must also be cut back to prevent water from unnecessarily getting into their center. You should also clean other overwintering plants of dried leaves. If you can assume that winter is definitely over, you can uncover roses and other covered plants and allow them to start growing.

March Garden Work - What to Focus On

Support lawn growth by removing debris and scarifying. Don't start scarifying until the lawn has dried after the snow melts, as you could damage the grass turf structure. Dry soil is also necessary before starting to dig beds. Waterlogged soil would be very difficult to work with. When digging, incorporate fertilizer into the soil if you haven't done so in autumn. However, remember the requirements of different plants, as some plants don't tolerate direct fertilization. Other gardening tasks in March depend on current weather conditions.

Fighting Diseases and Pests Year-Round - What to Do in March

In March, garden plants awaken from winter dormancy, and trees begin to develop flower buds and leaves. The bud development period is the ideal time to begin protective measures against certain diseases and pests. For peach leaf curl, the first spray should be applied when buds start to swell; the specific timing depends on weather conditions. Sometimes winter is mild and short, so spraying can be done as early as late February, while in colder areas you must wait until March, or even April after a prolonged winter. Use special copper-based products designed to combat this disease. March is also the right time to treat cherries and sour cherries affected by brown rot. Apply the first spray during bud development and the second during flowering. In March, regularly check whether overwintered plants, cacti, succulents, or houseplants have been attacked by pests or diseases.

Don't Neglect Ornamental Plants in March

In March, you won't often see ornamental plants in window boxes and on windowsills yet. Spring window box decoration can be created quite simply. Place some moss, dry leaves, or other pliable material in window boxes or hanging baskets, into which you can nestle pots with forced spring bulbs. If the root ball has grown well through the soil in the pot, you can plant directly into the window box without the plastic pot. Don't forget to water the plants regularly. March is an important month for many gardeners because it's time to sow ornamental flower seeds. A great advantage over earlier sowings is more light and the prospect of higher temperatures, making it possible to sow some less sensitive flowers in seed-starting equipment placed in the greenhouse. In "warmer" (well-insulated) greenhouses, you can sow seeds of most marigold varieties, calendulas, sweet peas, snapdragons, and asters in March. If you don't have enough space to sow many different plant species but still want a diverse range of ornamental flowers in your garden, pre-mixed seed blends of various plant species are perfect for you.

In our e-shop, you can choose seeds, for example, according to flower shades - blue, red or pink.

What to do with indoor plants during March?

At the end of March, when the days are already visibly getting longer and there is more light, you can start gradually repotting houseplants into fresh substrate. Plants grown in smaller pots should be repotted every year, while perennial plants in large pots can last in the same substrate for 3 - 5 years. When repotting, don't forget to put a layer of pebbles at the bottom of the pot, which will drain excess water away from the roots (drainage layer). Trim damaged and dead roots from the plants being repotted. The size of the new pot should not be much larger than the original one. Water the repotted plants. If you have severely damaged the root system of the plants (you have cut off many damaged roots), don't overdo the watering so that the roots don't start to rot. The following watering can already be more generous and you can also add fertilizer for houseplants.

In March, you can start repotting houseplants.

Cacti and succulents also follow the calendar - what benefits them in March

Cacti grown over the summer in a greenhouse or cold frame are still placed in a cooler winter location in March and are "sleeping". Check them occasionally to see if they are affected by mold or pests. Cacti grown year-round indoors can be moved to a warmer room at the end of March and watered more frequently. This will bring the cacti into their growth phase. You can also sow cactus seeds in March. If possible, place the seedlings under a light (e.g. on an aquarium) or on the brightest (south-facing) windowsill. In your free time, you can study specialized literature and search for plants you would like to have in your collection.