Jobs for the Month: March

March is when things really ‘kick off’ here at the garden; it’s the time to sow many of your crops outside (weather permitting, of course!) and to bear in mind that no seeds like extreme cold spells for long periods after planting. Plant out any already hardened-off early crops of broad beans, peas, etc.  Don’t forget to use slug barriers!  You may also have early salad plants and leaves ready for hardening-off or planting.

For all of the above you may want to think about using some crop protection or purchasing a cold frame.

In the greenhouse I am pricking-out early sown tomatoes, peppers etc. It's also about time to get the greenhouse border prepared...  The list just goes on and on!

If the weather holds I will be planting potatoes in a number of ways:

• The 'earlies' will be placed in planters with a rich growing mix.
• Others will be grown in the fabulous 'link-a-bord’ for easy earthing up!
• Before planting others in the Kitchen Garden's raised beds
• And finally, some in the ground.

One important thing that I will be doing before any potatoes go into the beds is applying nematodes. Prior application meant that our potato harvest last year was totally free from any slug damage. If it takes a turn to colder weather I may delay planting (especially the main crop!) as I recall that last year we had a fair dollop of snow in March). Don't get caught out and remember to ’fleece’ any already in the ground if frosts threaten!

Asparagus crowns are to be planted this month.  It is always worth putting in some effort when it comes to asparagus as  it will be in the same spot for many years and as with all vegetable growing, it’s all in the preparation. Choose your bed carefully, dig and generally improve the soil removing all weeds as you go. Dig a trench approximately a spade's depth, improve it with good homemade compost or the like, and lay the crowns in the trench so that they are approx 15cm below the soil level and fill in. You want 30cm between crowns and 60cm, at least, between rows. I mulch the bed here each spring with a mid fertility mulch and then apply ‘Strulch’ on top of this, but not too deep so as not to rot the crowns.

I use a lot of ‘Strulch’ in the garden at this time of year around spring sowings and plants it improves moisture retention and structure as well as keeping down the weeds.

I will be sowing any parsnips, more leaves and lettuces, companion planting, broad beans, peas, herbs and another sowing of carrots main crop this time - using a Root Fly barrier.

Time to get cracking.