MARCH signals the beginning of Autumn.
Soon we’ll start to see beautiful tones of yellow, orange and red dotted around the mountain as the leaves of deciduous trees such as maples, liquid ambers, and crepe myrtles change colour and fall.
March is a great time to be in the garden enjoying the cooler days and blue skies.
What to plant in March
In the veggie patch sow or plant seedlings of Asian greens, basil, beans (French and climbing), beetroot, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chives, coriander, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, kale, kohlrabi, leek, lettuce, parsley, radish, rocket, silver beet, spring onion, swede, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnip.
For some colour sow or plant seedlings of billy buttons*, blue lace flower*, delphinium, everlasting daisy* flannel flower*, globe amaranth, hollyhock, kangaroo paw* linaria, lobelia, marigold, native bluebell*, nigella, pansy, pink billy buttons*, poppy, primula, showy everlasting*, snapdragon, stock, strawflower*, sweet pea, viola, virginia stock, or wallflower.
Jobs to do
Here are a few ideas to get you into the garden.
- Take cuttings of sage, rosemary and thyme and pot up to give to family and friends;
- Fertilise and prune rose bushes;
- Apply seaweed solution to newly planted vegetables to encourage good root growth;
- Set up net covered domes to protect cabbage from white butterfly and cabbage moth larvae;
- Remove very low hanging branches from citrus trees to encourage good air movement, particularly those growing in shady spots;
- Clean out old warm-season veggie gardens and mix organic fertiliser and compost into the soil in preparation for cool-season crops;
- Prune bottlebrush flowers to stop them from becoming legging.
Happy gardening everyone!
Sources: The Tamborine Mountain Gardener; Gardening Australia Magazine, Organic Gardener Magazine
If you would like to learn more about gardening, and meet like minded people, the Garden Club meets at 9.30am on the second Tuesday of each month at the Vonda Youngman Community Centre.
*natives
By Tamborine Mountain Garden Club Inc
