Jobs for March

The start of the month is the perfect time to finish soil

preparation. As a committed digger, my preferred option is to use a rotavator to break up any remaining lumps and bumps, and ensure that the compost I dug in is properly incorporated. On a smaller area, a spade and a rake will do the same job.

Make a plan. It can be difficult to be very strict about crop rotation where space is limited, but you should definitely avoid growing potatoes, brassicas or tomatoes on the same patch of ground for a good four years. One solution is to grow in bags – I find this especially good for salad potatoes, and tomatoes, which will thrive in a sunny spot against a nice heat-retaining wall.

If you have not already started chitting your potatoes, do

so now. Put them in a cool place, with plenty of light. The idea is to encourage them to put out good strong shoots so that they have a head start when they are planted.

Sow peas. In the past I did this straight into the ground but I find the plants do better if started off under glass. There is also less chance of the seeds being eaten by mice if you do it this way.

Your newly sharpened, freshly oiled hoe is your best weapon against weeds, and the time to start waging war is now. Provided the weather is reasonably warm and dry, you can leave the weeds on the surface of the soil to wither and rot.

I used to be opposed to horticultural fleece, finding its whiteness jarring in the garden. Now, with the weather becoming ever harder to predict, I’ve come to see it as an invaluable way of extending the growing season. I use it through March and April and beyond to help maintain the heat in the soil, including in pots and containers. Giving the emerging plants that bit of extra protection makes a big difference.

Tidy up Jerusalem artichokes. Dig up the plants, add some organic matter and replant the roots leaving about 25cm space between each one. Do remember that they are incredibly invasive, so it’s best to keep them in a dedicated area. Mine are more or less safely confined at the far end of the fruit cage, where I can admire the flowers in summer, but they can’t interfere with anything else.

Get your plant supports in now – pea sticks or netting for peas, wigwams or frames built from bamboo or hazel for climbing beans. It is much better to sow or plant around the supports than the other way round.