Gardening jobs for March. What to do?

Spring flowers should now be brightening the garden. Spring flowering bulbs such as daffodils, hyacinths, crocus and others give the first colors of the season. Also early shrubs like chaenomeles and forsythias give some blushes of color with their bright flowers. Cherries and Magnolias are the first trees to wake up for the season that is almost starting.

After the spring equinox the clocks go forward, the daylight is bigger day after day and there is no excuse for not using that extra time completing all the tasks and do all the gardening you want to do.

Mulch bare soil

Having weeded it first, mulch bare soil with organic matter like well-roted manure, garden compost or chipped bark. Soil left bare will loose the water very quickly. Covering with a thick layer of organic matter will limit the water evaporation from the soil. Mulch will also avoid weeds and will look good in the border.

Move evergreen shrubs

Now that the soil is beginning to warm up, is the perfect time to move evergreen shrubs. While moving plants, take as much rootball as possible, give them a good soak and protect them from cold winds.

Finish planting bare root trees and shrubs

Trees and shrubs will start to grow soon and it will not be safe to disturb them after that. This is really the last month where we can plant bare root trees and shrubs.

Prune roses

This is the time to prune bush and shrub roses. Climber roses are usually pruned in the autumn.

Prune shrubs

Dogwoods (Cornus) and shrubby willows (Salix) grown for their colorful decorative stems should be hard pruned now. The best stem colors of Cornus and Salix are produced in one year growth, so when you prune them back, they will produce masses of stems with the most brilliant colors. Ornamental Rubus should also be pruned now.

Hedges

This is the last time to buy and plant bare root hedges. Remember that bare root plants are the cheapest.