ON YOUR MARKS, GET SET… SOW!
Now we are in the second half of March seed-sowing season starts in earnest. This is the most economical way to grow your favourite plants and one of the most satisfying.
Some seeds can even be sown straight into the ground now. In the vegetable plot these include broad beans, cabbages, leeks, peas, lettuce, spring onions and sprouting broccoli.
Annual flowers that can be sown directly at this time of year include calendula, nigella or love-in-a-mist, cornflowers, sunflowers, larkspur, lupins and poppies.
Weed the area first, then rake or hand-fork the soil until you have achieved a fine tilth, like a nice crumbly cake mixture.
To grow vegetables in rows, mark them out with string and sticks, then use a dibber to make an indent in the soil, sow your seeds by hand then cover with a thin layer of soil and water gently.
Annual flowers that can be sown directly at this time of year include calendula (pictured), nigella or love-in-a-mist, cornflowers, sunflowers, larkspur, lupins and poppies
With flower seeds, hand-cast in drifts onto well-prepared ground. Other seeds need to be started off under cover such as tomatoes, aubergines, chillies and peppers. Cosmos and courgettes also benefit from being sown indoors.
When it comes to edible crops, try successional sowing a few weeks apart to ensure an even continuous supply later in the year.
TIME TO GET SPUDS IN THE GROUND
You don’t need to wait until Easter to plant your first earlies. Varieties such as Arran Pilot, Pentland Javelin, and Maris Bard will be ready to crop by June or July.
Potato plants such as Arran Pilot, Pentland Javelin, and Maris Bard will be ready to crop by June or July
Dig a trench 15cm deep and place potatoes with the sprouts facing upwards 30cm apart. Back cover with soil and water well.
Alternatively, you can grow potatoes in a strong bag or container but no more than one to a 30cm pot to give them plenty of space.
March is the last month when you can plant bareroot apple and pear trees
LAST CHANCE FOR BARE-ROOT FRUIT
March is the last month when you can plant bareroot apple and pear trees, as well as soft fruit including raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and red and blackcurrants.
You can also feed existing fruit trees with potash fertiliser or organic feed such as seaweed or blood fish and bone, then top up with well-rotted manure.
