March is the time to do some serious pruning, if you have not already done it. Now is definitely the time to prune your buddleia – take the stems right down to the wood. Don’t worry about overdoing it – it is almost impossible to kill a buddleia and good pruning now will be rewarded by a fabulous show of flowers in the summer. Your caryopteris might have died back to ground level in the winter frosts – cut away all dead wood, but take care not to damage any new, green shoots.
March is the time to prune your dogwoods (Cornus). Cut your dogwoods down to a woody base a few inches from ground level and you can do the same with your Elder bushes. Hardy Fuchsias can now be cut back hard, but take care not to damage any new shoots. If your honeysuckle is a bit overgrown now is the time to cut it back hard to encourage new growth from the base that can then be trained to supports.
Snip the old flowers off your hydrangeas and cut the stems just above a strong pair of buds. Remove one third of the old woody stems on your lilac to encourage new shoots to develop from the old wood. Cut away the dead stems on your plumbago but take care not to damage new growth. You can leave your Cotinus to grow, but you can also cut it down within a few inches off the ground to encourage new growth and bigger leaves.
There is still time to prune roses. Start by cutting out any dead wood and any stems that show signs of dieback. Cut out any cross growing branches to create a nice, airy bush. Make sure you leave outward facing buds to get the branches growing in the right direction. Cut weak shoots right back to encourage strong growth.
Now is the time to think about supporting taller plants and it is time to get your plant support frames in place. This will encourage new shoots to grown up through the frames and this will prevent them being blown over in the wind. If you have fruit cages check the netting and see if it needs repairing and feed your fruit bushes and trees. Spray peaches and nectarines with copper fungicide to prevent peach leaf curl.
Try to plan ahead for summer and plant large pots with lily bulbs. These can either go on the patio or they can be used to fill gaps in your border. Large terracotta pots are ideal for this and larger pots will hold more plants and provide more colour and make a greater impact. If you are on a tight budget try bare-rooted perennials such as agapanthus for your border. These days they are often to be had in the supermarket at very good prices. For best results plant them in pots and then plant them out into the border when they are growing more strongly.
Now is also the time to sow dwarf French beans in large pots and keep it under glass for an early crop – they should be ready by June. March is the time to plant Begonias in pots for a fine display later in the year. If you are intending to use grow bags bring them under cover in the shed or garage to warm them up prior to planting.
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