
Jobs to do this month
Flowers
-
Cut down deciduous ornamental grasses left standing over winter, before fresh shoots appear
-
Divide large clumps of snowdrops and winter aconites after flowering and replant to start new colonies
-
Prune late-summer flowering clematis, cutting stems back to healthy buds about 30cm from the base
-
Divide congested clumps of herbaceous perennials and grasses to make vigorous new plants for free
-
Transplant deciduous shrubs growing in the wrong place, while they are dormant
-
Pot up containers with hardy spring bedding, such as primroses, wallflowers and forget-me-nots
-
Prune winter-blooming shrubs such as mahonia, winter jasmine and heathers, once they've finished flowering
-
Cut back wisteria side shoots to three buds from the base, to encourage abundant flowers in spring
-
Give winter heathers a light trim after flowering, removing shoot tips but not cutting back into old wood
-
Prune buddleja and elder to the base to keep these vigorous shrubs to a reasonable size
-
Trim back ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers if they have outgrown their space, before birds start nesting
-
Cut away all the old foliage from epimediums with shears, before the spring flowers start to develop
-
Sprinkle slow-release fertiliser around the base of roses and other flowering shrubs
Fruit and veg
-
Finish winter-pruning fruit trees and soft fruits, including apples, autumn raspberries and blackcurrants
-
Chit first-early potato tubers, such as 'Foremost', by standing them in trays in a light, frost-free place
-
Prepare veg beds for sowing by weeding thoroughly, then cover with a thick layer of garden compost
-
Feed fruit trees and bushes by sprinkling sulphate of potash fertiliser around the base to encourage fruiting
-
Sow mustard and cress in a small seed tray on a warm windowsill for pickings in just a few weeks
-
Put cloches or fleece over strawberry plants to start them into growth and encourage an early crop
-
Hunt out overwintering snails huddled in empty pots and hidden corners, to reduce populations
-
Plant rhubarb into enriched soil, or lift and divide established clumps
-
Check if old seed packets are worth keeping by sowing a few seeds on damp kitchen paper, to see if they germinate
-
Protect the blossom of outdoor peaches, nectarines and apricots with fleece, if frost is forecast
-
Plant bare-root fruit bushes, trees and canes, as long as the ground isn't frozen
-
Inspect Mediterranean herbs for metallic green rosemary beetles if they start to look nibbled and tatty
Greenhouse
-
Sow sweet peas in deep pots and keep them frost-free in a greenhouse or on a sunny windowsill
-
Sow summer bedding and tender annuals, including cosmos, lobelia, dahlias, nasturtiums and snapdragons
-
Pot on and pinch out autumn-sown sweet peas to encourage side shoots to form
-
Sow tender crops such as tomatoes and chillies in a heated propagator or on a warm sunny windowsill
-
Plant dahlia tubers in trays to encourage shoots to develop, which you can then use as cuttings
-
Monitor greenhouse temperatures with a max-min thermometer to ensure heaters are working efficiently
-
Start planting summer bulbs in pots indoors, including liatris, begonias, gloxinias, lilies, eucomis and agapanthus
-
Cut off hippeastrum (amaryllis) flowerheads once they fade, but leave the stalk to die down naturally
-
Hand-pollinate the blossom of peaches and nectarines in the greenhouse using a soft paintbrush
-
Cut back overwintered fuchsias and increase the frequency of watering to spur them into growth
-
Remove any faded or yellowing leaves from overwintering plants to prevent fungal diseases
-
Wash greenhouse glazing inside and out to let in as much light as possible