MARCH CLIPPINGS

PLANT SUMMER-FLOWERING BULBS, INCLUDING GLADIOLI.

Plant at recommended depths to grow roots and sprout successfully.

START AN ASPARAGUS BED BY PLANTING CROWNS

in well-nourished, weed-free soil. They may take a year or two to settle, but you’ll be cutting spears for years to come.

CHOOSE ANNUALS SUCH AS AMMI MAJUS,

cornflower, larkspur and calendula to raise from seed for favourite flowers, and if soil is cold or wet, sow undercover.

LOOK OUT FOR BASAL CUTTINGS ON HERBACEOUS PERENNIALS.

They root quickly and won’t spoil this year’s display from the mother plant.

IN SMALL SPACES, PLANT SEED POTATOES IN LARGE PLASTIC POTS,

special potato bags or empty compost bags rolled down and with holes made in the base. Add 10cm compost, position three tubers, cover with another 10cm compost and add more as they grow.

FAQ

To grow lettuce from seed, should I sow in the ground, a pot or modular trays?

I sow mine thinly and evenly into wide, shallow pots under unheated glass. After germination, seedlings are planted separately in pots or modules to grow on before planting out.

How can I keep my indoor cyclamen another year?

After flowering, let the plant dry out and die back. Leave it until July or August and then soak the compost, waiting for the surface to dry before watering again. New leaves and flowers will appear from the tuber. Repot every two years.