March in the garden: Gear up for a new growing season

March is here. Even though Europe suffered some freezing days the last week of February and the first week of March, there is hope in the air that winter is on its way out.

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Last day of February: Snow in my garden 

Canals, rivers, and lakes were partly or entirely frozen all over the Netherlands. My garden didn’t escape the ice either. Out there, most of my plants look dead. Perhaps they will be able to revive when spring comes. Or maybe not. Ian consoled me that the frost can benefit the soil. It kills harmful bacteria. So I hold my head high, tend diligently to my indoor plants and make plans to start it all over again this March.

So here is what I will do in this month:

Move some pots outdoors as soon as it is warm enough

I have basil, coriander, potato, and a lot of chill plants. I am keeping them indoors at the moment, and it is getting a bit crowded. So as soon as the temperature stays above 5 degrees during the night, I will take them out and leave them there.

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Thai basil pots ready to go

Sow the seeds

I have a list of seeds to sow in March. For flowers, I will start again with lavender, sunflower, pansy, and poppy. There are also seeds of chard, tatsoi, and Asia salad red giant that I can put into the soil outside soon.

Tomato is something that I will grow again this year. March is still too cold for direct sowing in the ground. Thus I will start indoors at the sunniest spots.

Empty used pots

I have pots lying around, in which plants have no sight of life. When it is warm enough to stay outside for a decent amount of time, I should really empty those pots so that I can reuse them for new crops.

 

 

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