Top garden jobs to get out of the way in March for a fruitful summer – and which plants to prioritise

The warmer weather will have many rushing to make sure their garden is in tip-top shape for any upcoming barbeques – and thankfully, experts have revealed the plants you need to be prioritising in March.

With the cold weather slowly but surely thawing, now is the time to start setting up for a fruitful summer and make space for blossoming flowers to welcome spring.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, experts from Barnsdale Gardens explained how getting a few important jobs out of the way is key while ‘the soil is waking up’, with gradually increasing temperatures on the horizon.

‘March is one of the most exciting moments in the gardening calendar, the grand warm-up act before the main growing season bursts onto the stage,’ they shared.

‘A little effort now will set your garden up for a spectacular show in the months ahead. So grab your gloves, dust off the secateurs, and let’s get growing! Spring is stretching, the soil is waking up, and it’s time to get your hands delightfully dirty.’

Read on to see which plants need extra attention over the next few weeks…

FEED YOUR ASPARAGUS 

If you’re a fan of asparagus, now is the time to act for a delicious harvest. 

‘This isn’t a heavy-feeding plant, so simply apply a fairly thin layer of compost over the asparagus crowns each year before they begin to shoot,’ the experts shared.

‘Combined with allowing the feathery foliage to photosynthesise from midsummer onwards, this will provide plenty of nourishment for a strong crop of tender, juicy spears.’

DIG UP RHUS SUCKERS

Gardeners revealed that, as beautiful as these shrubs are, they require ample space, as they enthusiastically produce suckers.

Because of that, ‘when maintaining your borders, you’ll need to dig these out regularly; otherwise, they can quickly take over’.

Remove them as close to the parent plant as possible.

START PRUNING PRUNUS 

We may associate fruits with the summer months, but a little extra TLC this month will help make sure you get the best out of your trees. 

‘If you need to remove any shoots from fruiting trees, such as cherries, plums, peaches, nectarines, damsons, or apricots, now is the ideal time, as they are actively growing,’ experts shared.

‘At Barnsdale, we usually prune flowering cherries after they finish blooming, but if a tree is encroaching on a pathway, it’s fine to cut it back once it has started shooting. 

‘Pruning these trees during active growth also helps reduce the risk of silver-leaf disease.’

HEEL IN SNOWDROPS 

You can even take steps to make sure you have beautiful flowers for the next year as well. 

Gardeners have shared that as the flowers start to fade and turn brown, it’s the ideal time to lift, divide, and replant them.

‘Because drying bulbs can be detrimental, it’s much safer to buy snowdrops “in the green”, which almost guarantees that they will return and bloom next year,’ they explained.

‘If you got a little carried away and lifted or bought your snowdrops before the planting area is ready, don’t worry, they can be “heeled in” temporarily.

‘Simply dig a hole or trench, depending on how many bulbs you have, place the snowdrops in a clump at the same depth they were originally planted, and backfill with soil.

‘Firm them gently with your boot, and they’ll remain healthy for several weeks until you’re ready to plant them properly.’