1. Time to cut back Buddleja davidii hard… don’t be timid, take it right back to 40cm to a pair of buds. If you want a taller plant make the cuts higher up the stem. It will grow back in no time. The prunings make good hardwood cuttings and root easily straight in the ground.
2. You can pot up Dahlia tubers now by placing in pots or trays of peat-free compost in a frost-free place, and water once with no need to water again until shoots appear. Make sure the tubers are firm with no sign of rot.
3. Make sure to deadhead daffodils and other early bulbs to avoid seed formation and to allow the plant to put its energy into the bulb. Allow the foliage to die back naturally.
before and after deadheading
4. It’s not too late to sow some sweet peas in pots, five seeds to a pot, and place in a warm, light place until they germinate. If you are fussy about colour make sure to label well! At the end of the month you can try sowing a few in situ. Sweet peas are hardy plants and once they germinate can go outside in a cold frame or sheltered place.
5. Now is the time to prune most Hydrangeas (lacecap and mophead, H. paniculata, H. davidii etc but not climbing Hydrangea [H. petiolaris]), by cutting back stems just above a pair of buds below where it flowered last year. If you prune back too far you may miss this year’s flower. If your stems are congested cut back one or two to the ground to encourage fresh new growth.
6. If houseplants have outgrown their containers then either take them out and split them for one of our plant sales, or repot into the next size pot using peat-free compost.
7. Primroses are at their peak now… one of my favourite plants, and can easily be split when they finish flowering or allowed to set seed which should then be sown when green by pressing into small trays of seed compost then topped with grit. They are slow to germinate but come up easily once they get going.
8. Greenhouse tomatoes can be sown now but wait until the end of the month or beginning of April for outdoor types. Provide good light for germination.
9. Rake the ground well if you want to sow some vegetables direct. Parsnips can be sown now but are notoriously slow to germinate. Easier crops include beetroot and peas.
10. Make a tiny pond by sinking a container in the ground, but fill with rainwater not tap water. You’ll be surprised by the amount of wildlife that will appear if you add a few plants and a way for them to get in and out.
Happy gardening all!
Pat K
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