What to do in the garden in March

[Jason]

March is the time to plan for spring flowers and vegetables. Give your flowers and vegies the head start they need to have blooming colours and a bountiful harvest this spring with these great tips from Bunnings horticulturalist Mark Dedman. It would also be great if Workshop members could add their tips by replying below.

What To Plant

March is the time of year to plant bulbs like daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in your garden.

In the tropical north, sweet potatoes, squashes, melons, cucumbers and capsicums can go in your vegie garden while impatiens, marigold and petunias can go in your garden beds. These can also look great in pots and troughs to brighten up a courtyard or balcony.

A bit further south in the sub-tropical zone, leeks, rhubarb, zucchinis, artichokes and capsicums planted now will give you a bountiful spring harvest. Salvia, verbena and lobelia will add colour too.

Temperate regions should look to beetroot, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots, cauliflowers, onions and peas for their vegie patch and calendula, pansies, dianthus and sweet pea in the garden.

In cold climates, sow broad beans, cabbages, lettuce, shallots, spinach and turnips. In your flower beds polyanthus, poppies and primula should be planted.

If you are growing grass from seed, especially kikuyu, now is the time. The bit of growth you’ll get before winter means that your grass will be ready to thrive as soon as spring arrives.

What To Pick

Potatoes should be ready to be dug up now. If you are unsure, wait until the plant has completely shrivelled. That is when you should break out the shovel.

In the vegie garden, late-season tomatoes and zucchinis are ready to harvest as are pumpkins.

Early season apple varieties are also ready to be picked.

What To Do

Fertilise your lawn now so it gets one last spurt of growth that will see it through winter.

To ensure your berries are ready to endure the winter, tidy them up now. Remove any dead leaves and trim off the tops. Give them a good feed with an organic fertiliser like blood and bone.

You can also improve the soil in any empty beds of your vegie garden to get them ready for spring. Plant wheat or oats, let them grow to about 20cm high then dig them back in. This will organically add humus and nitrogen to the soil, giving your spring vegies the best possible start.

While the weather’s still good, take the opportunity to get out in the garden and get busy. Come springtime, you’ll be surrounded with colour and life and be glad that you did.

Check out Garden Corner on the Bunnings website for planting advice tailored to your area and climate. 

Feel free to let us know what you're up to in the garden at the moment by replying below or hitting the Start a discussion button.

[Jason]

Wow. Wonderful harvests @bergs. Many thanks for sharing. 

We harvested a lot of unripe tomatoes yesterday and will let them (hopefully!) ripen on the kitchen window sill as otherwise they get eaten by the neighbourhood rodents. 

I planted some kale, spinach and bok choy on Saturday. When the tomatoes are finished I will also plant some zucchini. 

Jason

[bergs]

Hey @Jason 

Some say to keep the tomatoes in the dark with a cut apple or a banana skin.

I put  3 tomatoes in a paper bag with a banana peel and stuck it in a dark cupboard. Two of them changed so far after a week.

I don't know if they are green and show no sign of turning, whether they will turn at all.

My daughter said to pick the ones that are starting to turn and ripen them inside now because she thinks that if left on the plant to ripen, they seem to have tough skins.

Earlier in the season I think they are better left to fully ripen on the plant.

@Jason  it 's  too late for zucchini here now. 

There are many ideas on this subject and I say stay with what works for you.

🍻 @bergs 

[Grub80]

Hi @bergs @Jason @Prawns @Aussie-Garden @Adam_W 

had a very busy summer growing food, and now winding down, just started to pull out the tomatoes to make way with leeks and onions. Still picking great crop of capsicums and green beans. Have also planted carrots, beets, garlic Asian greens and seedlings growing of winter veg. The birds got the first lot that I grew.  So still learning 🤪.

have also been working on another summer project and finished today, so another hoop house built with raised garden beds, 4mx3m. Perhaps my timing is apt. Hope you are all well and keep safe. Grow that food!

[Aussie-Garden]

Good stuff @Grub80. Would love to see some photos if you get a chance.

Was planning to get some seedlings planted for carrots, garlic and a few greens, but everything was gone when my wife dropped into Bunnings recently.

I have seeds for red onions, so I'll get those in the seed raising mix tomorrow. Never grown onions before.

Have some carrot seeds, so need to check if it's not too late.

I completed a second chicken coop today.

We got 3 new chicks on the weekend, so I made a house for when they are bigger, so they can run free in my little orchard and then be locked up at night.

I haven't taken photos as it's pretty basic due to my lack of skills and being completely made of scrap items. 🙈

[Grub80]

Projects made from scrap are sometimes the best so show your efforts with pride. Our second hoop house is an upmarket version from the first. Like you, the first was made what we could get our hands on at the time. So learning from this, the next hoop house is an upmarket version 👍

 

[Jason]

Looks fantastic @Grub80, many thanks for sharing. 

It might be also worthwhile popping this photo on your very popular Home made shade hoop house project. It's now had over 7000 views!

Congrats on your great work and for inspiring loads of other community members. Please let me know if you ever need a hand with anything. 

Jason

[Grub80]

The layoutWeed mat to try to stop kikuyu taking overHi @Jason , Firstly thank you for your feedback, Im amazed how many views for our home made hoop house. Please can you assist with linking our new project. I will upload more pictures. All the timber and supports purchased from Bunnings (of Course!) I decided that rather than watering a small piece of lawn, we would grow vegies instead. We started the project a few months ago. learning from our home made hoop house, the new hoop house is located in a windier part of the garden, hence the stronger frame, which was purchased online. The full cover, I will use during the winter. and we have made another shade cover for the summer. Ive just started growing the plants, so will keep you updated of our hopeful success, cheers 😃

[Aussie-Garden]

Looks awesome @Grub80.

Really like the shape of the garden bed inside. Nice one! 👍

[Jason]

No worries @Grub80. I've copied your text and photos across to the original project so people following that one can see it all together. Thanks again for sharing. Great work!

Jason

[bergs]

Hakea about to bloomWednesday's harvestGrevilleaLavender hedgeGreat set up @Grub80 ,

I like the walkway up the centre, makes easier access all round. Also the raised beds are easier on the back.😁👍

My climbing beans are all but finished now, along with the cucumbers. Tomatoes will probably hang hang on for another week or so. Chillies growing strong and are steadily ripening. Four to five pumpkins have set but some may not grow very big.

Bees are loving the lavenders, grevilleas and hakeas.

I can only use one side of the yard for the cooler months because the north side the is   blocke by the fence.

🍻Cheers and happy gardening.

(sorry if this doesn't come out right, can't seem to move the photos once uploaded)