The month of March is the ideal time to begin gardening tasks to prepare your garden for the beautiful days to come. There are several essential tasks to carry out in the early days of the month to ensure a beautiful garden and a flourishing vegetable garden. In this article, we will explore these 7 must-do tasks.
1. Pruning fruit trees and rose bushes
The pruning of fruit trees and roses is a key step in maintaining your garden. It promotes fruiting, flowering as well as harmonious growth of plants. In March, prune the stone fruit trees such as peaches, apricots and cherry trees by removing obstructive or poorly oriented branches. Also remember to prune climbing roses and bushes.
Size of fruit trees:
- Remove dead, broken, or diseased branches
- Balance the shape of the tree by removing branches that are too long or poorly placed
- Encourage branching by cutting vigorous shoots
Rose bush Size:
- Cut the dead branches until you reach healthy wood
- Shorten the main stems, making sure to keep an odd number of buds
- Eliminate narrow, weak or crossed branches
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2. Prepare the soil of the vegetable garden
At the beginning of March, it’s time to prepare your vegetable garden to welcome your future plantings. First, aerate the soil by performing a first superficial till. This operation will also eliminate weeds and other unwanted plants. You can then work the soil with a grelinette, a tool that facilitates soil aeration and amendment. To nourish the soil, remember to incorporate well-decomposed compost into the soil, which will slowly release nutrients for your future crops.
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3. Planting onions and shallots
The month of March is conducive to the planting of onions and shallots in order to benefit from a harvest as early as June or July. Use seedlings called “sets” and respect the recommended planting distances:
- Onions: spacing of 10 cm between each plant and 30 cm between the rows
- Shallots: spacing of 15 cm between each plant and 30 cm between rows
When you plant the cloves, keep the pointed end upwards. You can lightly mulch after planting to limit the emergence of weeds and maintain the soil hydration.
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4. Sow the first seeds in the warmth
It is essential to start sowing certain seeds as early as March if you want to enjoy a vegetable garden rich in vegetables this summer. Vegetables that require a long growth period such as tomatoes, peppers or eggplants should be sown right now inside a greenhouse, under a cold frame or in a well-exposed location within the house. This will allow the plants to develop properly before they are transplanted into the ground at the end of spring.
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5. Planting Climbers and Shrubs
The beginning of March is also favorable for the planting of climbing plants such as clematis, hollyhocks or vines as well as certain ornamental shrubs and flowering hedges to beautify your garden. Before planting, prepare the soil well by adding compost or manure and check its pH price to make the necessary amendments.
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6. Aerate and fertilize the lawn
For a beautiful, lawn that’s dense and healthy in spring, it’s essential to aerate and nourish it from the first days of March with appropriate techniques. Simply using a digging fork is enough for soil aeration. Weeding the lawn is also essential to prevent the spread of weeds and eliminate moss. Don’t forget to apply a special fertilizer to foster uniform and even growth.
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7. Clean and maintain gardening equipment
Finally, don’t forget that the start of the season is an ideal time to inspect and clean all your gardening equipment, such as pruning shears, hedge trimmers, watering cans or even your lawnmower. Make sure to sharpen the blades of cutting tools, lubricate moving parts and replace worn or damaged parts if necessary. Having equipment in good condition will lighten your work and improve the schedule by dedicating time to other more important gardening tasks.
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By undertaking these seven essential tasks from the earliest days of March, you put all the odds in your favor to achieve a healthy and lush garden as well as a generous vegetable patch this year. So do not hesitate to roll up your sleeves and start the new gardening season with enthusiasm and pleasure!