March heralds a pivotal moment in the gardening calendar, a time when the quiet of winter gives way to the promise of spring. It’s a month filled with potential, inviting both novice and seasoned gardeners to engage with the soil and start the season’s journey. As we edge closer to the warmer months, March offers a unique blend of preparation and active gardening that sets the foundation for a flourishing garden. Here’s how you can make the most of this transformative month.
Embarking on Early Sowing
Indoor Sowing: A Head Start on the Season
The lingering cold outside doesn’t mean gardening activities need to be on hold. March is the perfect time to start sowing seeds indoors, especially for those plants that require a bit more time to come into their own. Focusing on early starters like tomatoes, peppers, and aubergines can give your garden a head start. These crops benefit immensely from the controlled environment indoors, where temperature and light can be managed to optimise growth.
At Grown Local, we offer an extensive range of vegetable seeds, specifically curated for early sowing. Starting these seeds indoors not only ensures a robust start to their life but also extends the growing season, allowing you to enjoy their fruits sooner and for longer.
Varieties I am looking forward to growing this year are:
Black Moon Tomato – released in 2023, a variety which tastes as good as it looks, a favourite for many everyone who grew this last year praised its taste and how it looked.
Bliss Tomato – A new yellow variety released late 2023, this will be the first year growing but its bright yellow and really going to make any salad look amazing!
Sweetcorn Ambrosia – a favourite at the Chelsea flower show 2023 – Another new variety a super Sweet Hybrid, first year growing so I will report back!
Hungarian Black Chilli – A staple and easy chilli to grow which produces large tasty chilli’s, while there’s a lot of hype of these new strange and exotic crosses we are seeing, for me Hungarian Black is the Crimson Crush of the chilli world super tasty and consistent!
Sowing Flowers: Adding Colour and Vibrancy
March is not only a time for sowing vegetables but also an ideal moment to start planting a variety of flowers. Starting flowers from seeds indoors can bring an early splash of colour and life to your home and garden. From the delicate hues of pansies to the vibrant displays of marigolds, sowing flowers now prepares them for transplanting outdoors when the frosts have passed. At Grown Local, we offer a selection of flower seeds that are perfect for early sowing, ensuring your garden becomes a vibrant oasis of colour throughout the warmer months. Sowing flowers is not just about aesthetics; it plays a crucial role in attracting pollinators, supporting biodiversity, and creating a healthy and thriving garden ecosystem. Whether you’re aiming for swathes of wildflowers or structured floral displays, beginning your flower sowing in March sets the foundation for a garden bursting with life and colour.
Last Frosts
Here in Scotland, we cherish the old saying, “Ne’er cast a cloot till May is oot.” The debate lingers about whether it refers to the end of May or the blooming of May flowers. Regardless, its core advice cautions against packing away your winter attire until the end of May. For us gardeners, this adage, passed down through generations in my family, serves as a wise reminder not to risk leaving our tender plants outdoors overnight until the end of May. The threat of a sudden frost is real, and erring on the side of caution can prevent unnecessary losses. To determine the expected last frost date in your area and accordingly plan your gardening efforts, you can visit Garden Focused. This piece of wisdom not only protects our non-hardy plants from potential harm but also keeps alive the gardening insights passed from one generation to the next.
Potting On
Seedlings started earlier in the year may need potting on to larger containers to prevent them from becoming root-bound. This promotes stronger growth and healthier plants ready for transplanting outdoors when the weather warms.
Expert Tip: Use a high-quality seed starting mix and keep your seed trays in a warm spot with plenty of light. My favourite go to compost which I’ve now used for the last few years is either of Melcourts offerings SylvaGrow or All-Purpose Peat-Free Compost, both are peat free consistent in quality furthermore consider investing in a seed propagator and or a grow light if natural light is scarce in your home.
Direct Sowing Outdoors
Embracing the Soil’s Awakening
As the soil begins to shed its winter chill, direct sowing outdoors becomes a tangible option. Hardy crops such as carrots, lettuces, and beetroot are ideal candidates for this early venture into outdoor sowing. Preparing your beds with a fine tilth and ensuring the soil is free of large clumps and stones can significantly improve germination rates and root development.
Visit our online list of vegetable seed which make excellent succession vegetables.
Soil Enrichment: Foundation for Success
March’s to-do list isn’t complete without giving due attention to soil health. Incorporating compost or well-rotted manure into your garden beds can dramatically improve soil structure and fertility, setting the stage for a successful growing season. If you’ve utilised green manures over the winter, now is the time to dig them in, enriching the soil with organic matter and nutrients.
Pruning for Growth
With spring just around the corner, March offers the last call for pruning many types of fruit trees and bushes. This crucial task helps remove dead or diseased wood, open up the plant to light and air circulation, and encourage strong, healthy growth. It’s an act of care that rewards you with perfect harvests.
Our Garden’s Transformation
This year, Grown Local’s garden has undergone significant enhancements, reflecting our commitment to gardening excellence and community engagement. Expanding our growing areas has been a key focus, allowing us to explore a wider variety of plants and gardening techniques. The introduction of a larger greenhouse and new raised beds marks our ambition to provide an inspiring space for our community to learn and grow together.
Over the coming months we will continue to update you on our transformation, keep your eyes on the Grown Local YouTube channel as we will soon begin posting content so make sure to jump over and subscribe!
Grown Local: Your Partner in Gardening
As you embark on your March gardening journey, remember that Grown Local is here to support you. From high-quality seeds to expert advice, we’re committed to helping you achieve your gardening goals. March is a month filled with potential and progress; let’s make the most of it, preparing our gardens for the abundance of the seasons ahead.
Buy your garden seeds online with Grown Local.
Thank you for taking time to read I look forward to following your garden journey so please do comment, and share and tag posts on instagram and facebook!