What to do in your garden during March
In dry continental and highveld, summer-rainfall regions do the following the garden.
Plant & Sow
Annuals
Sow all summer-flowering annuals like:
-
Tropaeolum majus (Nasturtium) -
Dianthus (Carnation, Pink) -
Primula species (Cowslip, Polyanthus, Primrose) -
Alcea rosea (Common hollyhock) -
Petunia Supertunia Bordeaux (Petunia Supertunia Bordeaux) -
Senecio x hybrids (Florist’s cineraria, ragwort, groundsel) -
Malcolmia maritima (Virginian stock) -
Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon) -
Stachys byzantina (S. lanata) (Lamb’s ears, Stachys) -
Digitalis purpurea (Common foxglove) -
Viola wittrockiana (Pansy)
Vegetables
Sow vegetables like:
-
Petroselinum species (Parsley) -
Apium graveolens (Celery) -
Phaseolus coccineus (Runner bean) -
Phaseolus vulgaris (Beans (dwarf/green), French beans) -
Lactuca sativa (Lettuce) -
Daucus carota (Carrots) -
Brassica oleracea var. capitata (Cabbages) -
Beta vulgaris var. cicla (Chard, Swiss chard) -
Allium porrum (Leeks) -
Beta vulgaris var. esculenta (Beetroot) -
Pastinaca sativa (Parsnips)
Garden maintenance
General garden maintenance
- Spray apples, pears and quinces against codling moth, and peaches against fruit fly.
- Water citrus trees well every three weeks and spray against citrus psylla; water other fruit trees thoroughly every second week.
- Deadhead daisy bushes regularly to prolong their flowering period; remember to disbud dahlias at regular intervals.
- Keep the soil well mulched.
- Consider installing a rainwater tank. Many container-grown plants do best if watered with rainwater.
- Stake dahlias and water and fertilize them regularly.
- Mulch roses well.
- Cut back chrysanthemums.
- Deadhead roses regularly.
- Sow lawn seed.
- Transplant primula seedlings.
- Prepare trenches for sweet peas.
- Feed and mulch hydrangeas, and remove the dead flowerheads from the bushes.
- Spray apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums against fruit fly; and apples, pears and quinces against codling moth.
- Water citrus every three weeks in dry weather, and spray with insecticide.
- Feed fruit trees after the fruit are harvested.
For March maintenance tips on watering, pruning, pests and disease, fertilizing and much more visit our countrywide maintenance guide.























