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Top 10 Gardening Jobs for March: 2025 Edition
After a long, cold, and frosty winter, March is finally here, which brings with it spring, the season of new beginnings (and new plants)! If you're like us and can't wait to get back into your garden but have no idea where to start, here's our top 10 gardening jobs for March.
In This Guide:
2) Plant Hardy Vegetables Outdoors
5) Plant Summer Flowering Bulbs
9) Start Composting (If You Haven't Already!)
10) Encourage Birds & Other Wildlife
Thankfully, you won't be short of ideas. March happens to be one of the best times of year to get growing, sowing, sprucing, and preparing your garden for the year, ready to entertain, grow, and create your own plant-tastic sanctuary.
Our guide will walk you through the list of jobs you can do if you've been itching to get back outdoors, but be warned: You'll be busy!
If you need some new equipment or are ready to upgrade your tools, check out our selection of March must-haves below! Free delivery is available*.
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Short Handle Bulb Planter£12.98 -
Potato Harvesting Scoop£12.60
Your March Garden Checklist
Here's our handy checklist of March garden jobs, which you can refer to throughout the month. By the end, your garden will be full of life and looking beautiful. And best of all, you would have done it all yourself. There's nothing like having pride in your work.
- Plant bare-root trees
- Sow hardy vegetables outdoors
- Sow indoor
- Harvest what you can
- Plant summer flowering bulbs
- Prune shrubs
- Mulch borders
- Mow your lawn
- Start composting
- Encourage birds and other wildlife
These also double as March allotment jobs if you have your own plot.
If you're not familiar with all the processes, but want to make the most of your early spring garden, below is a more detailed look into the individual jobs. Let's get into it.
1) Plant Bare-Root Trees
If you've got your eye on growing fruit this year, bare-root trees are the perfect place to start. And you better hurry up and get your spade (preferably a stainless steel one, like ours, to help you get through the tough soil), because the last month you can plant them is March.
It's recommended that bare-root trees are planted between November and March, but it's also recommended that you plant them where they can get maximum sunlight. You can (almost) guarantee that sunshine will be more prominent in March.
Planting in March will also ensure your plant is still dormant, which is necessary for bare-root trees.
Top Tips for Planting Bare-Root Trees in March
- Soak the roots in water for 30 minutes to two hours before planting
- Choose a location with maximum sunlight
- Monitor soil moisture
If you want to learn exactly how to plant bare-root trees for a delicious harvest, head to our blog post with a step-by-step guide!
Learn How to Plant Bare-Root Trees
2) Plant Hardy Vegetables Outdoors
March is an excellent time to up your planting and improve your skills if you're a beginner. The winter has passed, and it's time to jump headfirst into the growing season!
The arrival of March means the soil is beginning to get warmer, and you can grow your veggies outdoors (with covers or fleecing if needed).
We’ve put together an entire article delving into the different veg you can grow each month (with some extra advice), so we recommend jotting down some notes from there – read it below!
The Essential Veg Calendar for UK Gardens
March Vegetables We Recommend Growing Outdoors
- Broad Beans
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Early Potatoes
- Turnips
- Radishes
- Lettuce
If you need to upgrade your tools before the planting season, check out our professional range below.
3) Sow Vegetables Indoors
March can still be a little chilly for a lot of vegetables, but you still have the option of starting their life indoors or in a greenhouse.
Each vegetable has a different time limit for when they can be planted outside, so it’s worth doing your research before you commit to keeping plants indoors for an extended period.
March Vegetables We Recommend Growing Indoors
- Squash
- Kohl Rabi
- Tomatoes
- Sweet Peppers
If you're looking for tips and tricks for some of the vegetables you can grow and sow in March, check out our blog post!
Growing Tips for March Veggies
4) Harvest What You Can
If you have planted crops that remain in the ground throughout winter, chances are, you'll have a bountiful harvest by the time March rolls around.
This includes vegetables like parsnips, sprouts, winter lettuce, and rhubarb.
Top Tips for Harvesting in March
- Some vegetables like sprouts and parsnips actually taste better after a frost due to their stored starch converting into sugar to defend against the cold, so it's a great idea to leave them in the ground to catch the last one for a super sweet veggie!
- Use correct and clean harvesting tools like knives and potato scoops
- Remove any rotting or damaged plants before harvesting, so the viable plants don't become affected
5) Plant Summer Flowering Bulbs
Summer flowering bulbs like whimsical dahlia, lily, and freesia are guaranteed to turn your summer garden into a colourful haven – as long as you plant them at the correct time.
By planting your bulbs in early spring (March), you can enjoy your flowers for as long as possible through the summer. If you plant them late, there's a chance they will only slightly flower, if at all.
Top Tips for Planting Summer Flowering Bulbs
- Prepare planting beds by loosening the soil and adding compost for nutrient enrichment
- Make sure your soil is well-drained to prevent bulb rot
- For a better display, try to plant six or more bulbs together
How & When to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs
6) Prune Shrubs
March is the perfect time to get your pruners out and finish up or begin your pruning jobs for the season.
For example, you should prune your established bushes during this time, including roses. However, March is the final time you can prune roses before they flower, so it's best to get a wriggle on!
Many late-summer flowering shrubs can also be pruned in March, but again, this is the final time you can do so without risking damage to your flowering displays.
You should leave spring-flowering shrubs until after they have flowered, though; otherwise, you will risk damaging your display, and we can't have that.
Tools You’ll Need for Pruning
- Pocket Size Garden Pruners
- Bypass Secateurs
- Anvil Secateurs
- Long-Handled Loppers
- Garden Gloves
The quality of the tools you use is so important if you’re aiming for the best results, comfort while gardening, and long-term value.
Poor gardening tools might save money initially, yes, but they’ll ultimately lead to higher replacement costs, the possible spread of disease to healthy plants (through the rust that can form on cheaper tools), and frustration.
So, our recommendation is to invest in your tools – and high-quality tools at that. Check out some of ours below, or browse our website for more! Your new tool kit awaits.
7) Mulch Borders
Mulching your borders is a great way to keep your plants happy and healthy, and March is the time to do so.
Thanks to the winter rain, your soil will already be nice and moist, and your summer garden will thank you for the additional layer of organic materials.
And before you ask, no, mulch is not the same as compost!
Mulch is an organic material applied to the top layer of soil, while compost is made from decomposed, biologically active organic matter and gets applied beneath the top layer of soil.
Benefits of Mulching in March
- Weeds haven't started germinating yet, and mulch is good at suppressing them
- Mulch helps retain moisture, stopping your late spring or summer plants drying out
- Beneficial creatures like earthworms will be encouraged to your plants because of mulch
Simply spread an even layer over the top, and voila. A happy, clean, and visually appealing border.
8) Mow Your Lawn
March marks the first month of the year when you'll be able to mow your lawn. This is exciting, especially for those of you who've been dying to tackle the overgrown landscape the winter has left.
The best thing to do is set your mower to a high setting and make getting rid of weeds a priority.
- Don't begin mowing if the ground is still frozen or there is a lot of moisture on your lawn
- Aerate your lawn to prevent waterlogging using a garden fork. For small lawns, you could use a small handheld fork, but for larger lawns, you’d need something a little bigger
- Rake any moss or debris from your lawn to aid growth
9) Start Composting (If You Haven't Already!)
If you're an avid gardener, you're likely already a regular composter, but if you've neglected it, March is a wonderful time to start again.
The warmer weather and longer days increase the activity of helpful microorganisms and critters essential in composting.
You're also likely to start using compost much more in spring now the growing season is becoming more active, so it's good to keep a healthy supply.
Top Tips for Creating a Compost Bin
- Don't add invasive weeds or weeds that have gone to seed in your compost bin, this will spread them around your garden further than before
- Add nitrogen-rich materials like coffee grounds
- Check out our Beehive Composter and get started on your new compost bin. The best way to start your compost heap is to collect general kitchen waste (like tea bags, egg shells, and peelings) in a compostable bin liner. When the bag is full, chuck it straight onto the heap. You’ll also need a vessel to move your compost from your bin to your plants, and our extra-wide Compost Scoop will be perfect.
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Beehive Composter
£164.99
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Beehive Composter£164.99
10) Encourage Birds & Other Wildlife
Last but not least, this is a great month to encourage birds and other wildlife to your garden. Even if you aren't connected to the beauty of nature, these creatures can aid your garden by eating pests, pollinating flowers, and aerating soil.
Birds will be active in your garden in March, but bees are less likely. You may see the odd species in late March to April, so it's still a good idea to attract the little beasts.
How to Encourage Wildlife
- Put food high in protein and clean water out to attract birds to your garden
- Make a bee house
- Provide shelter, like a bird box, for birds
Why Wildlife Gardening is Important
Rounding Up: Preparing Your Garden for Summer
So, go! You can finally get back into your garden properly after a long and frosty winter. Get those green thumbs busy once again ahead of the warmer seasons.
March, and the whole of spring for that matter, can be a wonderful time to spend in the garden. The days are longer and brighter, the soil is warmer, and the introduction of new wildlife make it a very pleasant place to be.
Outdoor planting can also finally begin, which we're sure many of you have been excited to do!
If you want to add to your tool and equipment collection ahead of the new season, check out some of our must-haves below!
Short Handle Bulb Planter
£12.98
Potato Harvesting Scoop
£12.60
Beehive Composter
£164.99
*Free delivery is available on orders over £100.
FAQs
What Should You Sow in March in the UK?
You can sow plenty of delicious produce in March, including squash, beetroot, asparagus, and early potatoes!
You can also plant summer flowering bulbs to add colour to your outdoor space.
What Are the Best Things to Plant in March?
March is the first time during the year when the soil is slightly warmer, allowing new vegetables, fruits, and flowers to be sown directly into the ground.
Some ideal plants to grow in March include bare-root trees, beetroot, herbs, and sweet peas.
When to Tidy Your Garden in Spring?
If you want to enjoy your garden during spring but aren't sure when to begin, the beginning of March is often a good time to start.
Many people like to begin in February to get ahead of the season, but this isn't ideal because there is still a risk of snow and frost during the month.
