March Tips
MARCH
NOW IS THE TIME TO…………
start sowing and growing broad beans, early peas, potatoes.
The winter has been long, cold and wet, so the soil is still too cold and seeds will rot in the soil. But with increasing day length and some drying winds and sunshine, you will be able to sow the larger seeds, such as early potatoes, broad beans and peas this month. You can try radishes, too. You may wish to start off the broad beans and peas in small pots/ modules in a sheltered spot in the garden or cold greenhouse, away from slugs and snails.
It is a good time to sow early lettuce, such as May Queen, and rocket in trays for transplanting soon into the garden. You will be eating home grown salads in May!
As the month progresses, the soil should be ready for the smaller seeds.
Early spring bulbs, snowdrops, winter aconites and crocuses are looking cheerfully unconcerned about the weather and are putting on a long display. When the weather warms up, they will quickly finish flowering. It will then be the optimum time to divide big clumps of snowdrops and aconites and plant elsewhere whilst they are still ‘in the green’.
I spotted a ‘new’ pest, a harlequin ladybird, (note the ruler is in centimeteres) which, though they eat aphids, are also reputed to devour the native ladybirds and other helpful (beneficial) insects. There are many varieties of native and harlequin ladybirds so a search on the internet will identify any ladybird you find.
wjn2010
