There are some crucial jobs you should do this March to keep your garden thriving (stock image) (Image: Catherine Delahaye via Getty Images)
Now that it’s officially spring in the UK, an expert has shared his essential gardening tasks for March.
Many people turn to social media for gardening tips, however, it’s crucial to seek the advice of an expert.
Bearing this in mind, James Ewens, gardening and wildlife expert at Green Feathers, has unveiled the vital gardening tasks to complete in March to lay the groundwork for a flourishing garden all year round. This includes one key task if you want your plants to survive.
The expert said: “It’s time to prepare your lawn – and cut it for some warmer regions – as well as tidy up your flowers, plant more, support wildlife, prune your shrubs, and de-clutter your garden ready for all that garden fun to come. The list doesn’t need to be exhaustive, just a few simple, easy tasks in the garden will allow you to make the most of it as the weather warms up.”
Check out his recommendations below.
Make wildlife an all-year-round priority
Wildlife should be a priority throughout the year, and March remains a critical survival month for garden wildlife – with natural food sources still scarce as we embrace the onset of spring.
Keep bird feeders stocked up with nutritious food, and leave remaining seedheads on plants. Resist the urge to over-tidy as it provides vital natural food and shelter for birds, insects and hedgehogs.
Leaving piles of logs, leaves or branches offers safe refuge for hedgehogs and insects. Prioritising food, shelter, and overall safety for wildlife ensures they have the best chance to survive, and thrive, come spring.
Prepare your lawn for the first lawn cut of 2026
It’s not time to cut your lawn yet in most regions, but it is time to start preparing for your first lawn cut of the year – and yes, it’s that time again already!
You can prepare your lawn to emerge from dormancy for a flourishing spring appearance. One of the best approaches to achieve this is by avoiding walking across it if any frost is still present, and on drier days, gently clear away any debris to improve air circulation.
For regions where temperatures consistently remain above 6 degrees Celsius, it may well be time for your first lawn cut of the year. Ensure the weather is dry and mild so as not to damage your lawn, and raise the blade to the highest setting for the first few cuts to avoid damaging the unmowed grass.
Get planting
March represents your final opportunity to plant bare-root trees and shrubs, such as dogwood, blackcurrants, and silver birch, whilst they remain in their winter dormancy. As the soil temperature rises, it’s the ideal moment to get ahead-of-the-game with vegetable planting; if you plant chives, early varieties of carrots, peas and kale in March, you can shortly have your five-a-day straight from the garden.
March is also an excellent time for those hardy annuals, such as cornflowers and poppies, they’ll add some vibrant beauty to the garden come June and the summer months.
Sunflowers and sweet peas can have a competition of who can grow the highest before summer! They’re both ideal to plant in March, for tall, flourishing flowers in a few months.
March pruning
Removing dead, damaged or diseased branches is vital for plants to survive, so pruning encourages vigorous new growth, maintains plant health, and allows you to control the shape and size of your plants – making it an essential job in March.
So, what needs to be pruned now? Summer-flowering shrubs, such as buddleja and hardy fuchsias, benefit from pruning in March as they emerge from dormancy, but before they can develop new buds.
Fruit trees like apple and pear trees also require pruning, removing dead, diseased or overlapping branches to improve air circulation and prevent disease spread.
Decluttering
One of the less glamorous but most crucial garden tasks, decluttering in March enables you to prepare to maximise your garden’s potential – whether that’s for relaxation, socialising, or hosting in your summer garden.
It’s a wise idea to organise your garden into three distinct piles – keep, store, dispose – a system that makes decluttering much more systematic. Remove and recycle any old, broken, unused plant pots, as well as any decaying debris, rusted tools, and damaged furniture. Once any rubbish is disposed of, you’ll be able to start organising tools into containers ready to store in the shed – optimising space in your garden ready for summer.