March Gardening & Landscaping Guide

General Gardening Tips for March:

1. Green Cover Crop and Brassicas:

   • Sow a green cover crop like lupins or mustard seed in unused garden beds over winter. These plants help fix nitrogen in the soil.

2. Weed Control:

   • Remove weeds before they go to seed to prevent future invasions around the garden.

3. Renovating Lawns:

   • Fertilise with ProLawn Lawn Booster, mow often, and re-sow bare patches.

4. Plan Ahead:

   • Remove annual plants that have finished their summer season and apply compost over the empty soil, ready for autumn planting.

March in the Ornamental Garden:

1. Autumn Planting:

   • Plant autumn-toned shrubs and flowers like tawny-colored NZ grasses, heucheras, and NZ coprosmas.

2. Spring Flowering Bulbs:

   • Early flowering varieties include ranunculus, freesias, anemones and crocuses.
   • Choose from tulips daffodils and hyacinths for early spring flowering bulbs.
   • Potted bulbs can be brought indoors in late winter as they bloom.

3. Lawn Care:

   • Grow a great lawn using our recommended grass seed and Prolawn Lawn Starter with daily light watering for germination.
   • Trim hedges for a crisp shape in winter and cover exposed roots with Premium Waikato Topsoil.

• Pest Control:

• Control Kowhai caterpillar with organic Bugtrol.
• Brown scale on citrus can be sprayed with Aquaticus Glow

• Drainage Matters:

• Landscape with drainage channels filled with Drainage Metal, Gabion Rock or River Boulders.

• Fertilise Winter Flowering Shrubs:

• Fertilise shrubs like camellias, azaleas, and rhododendrons with Prolawn All Purpose and apply Mulch.

Fruit and Vegetable Gardens in March

1. Prepare for Winter Growing:

   • Add Compost, Premium Garden Mix, and Sheep Pellets to sunny, sheltered areas for winter food growing.
   • Plant out cauliflower, broccoli seedlings, and sow carrot, parsnip, and silverbeet seeds.

2. Citrus and Other Fruit Trees:

   • Side dress citrus with Sheep Pellets or citrus fertilizser.
   • Feed feijoa, and fig trees as fruit develops.
   • Cover late-season blueberries, raspberries, and grapes with bird netting.

3. Seed Saving:

   • Sieve and dry heritage tomato seeds for next year.
   • Other heritage vegetable seeds that can be saved include beans, peas and peppers.

4. Pumpkin and Melon Care:

   • Place Pea Straw under pumpkins and melons to prevent contact with damp soil and rot.

5. Vegetable Garden:

   • Plant seedlings of various vegetables like cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and spring onions.
   • Consider edible flowers for the vegetable patch: calendulas, violas and Iceland poppies.

6. Herbs:

   • Sow parsley and coriander, using curly parsley as a vibrant edging for winter vegetable gardens.
   • Coriander grows well in cooler months - don't forget to use the stems in your cooking too.
   • Trim hard rosemary stems, remove leaves and use as aromatic kebab sticks on the BBQ.

7. Pruning:

   • Stone fruit trees, especially plum trees, are best pruned after the fruit has been harvested, to avoid disease setting in.

Landscape Project Ideas for March

1. Create a Relaxing Pebbled Area:

   • Make a pebbled area with chairs, favourite plants, and decorative stones for a restful space.

2. Lawns:

   • De-thatch if needed and oversow thin areas with appropriate seed and ProLawn Turfmaster Starter.

3. Garden Maintenance:

   • Fertilise the garden with Dave's Growth Booster Sheep Pellets.
   • Continue deadheading roses, and prune hedges and topiaries.

More gardening and landscaping ideas for March:

• Stabilise muddy areas with Jakmat for parking access and a decorative pebble finish.

Remember, these are general guidelines, and specific plant care may vary based on local conditions and plant varieties.