March marks the beginning of autumn in New Zealand, and it’s a time to start transitioning your garden from the summer heat to cooler autumn weather. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you maintain and prepare your garden during March.
General Garden Maintenance
- Weeding: Regularly remove weeds to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients and water.
- Mulching: Apply a layer of mulch around plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature.
- Watering: Continue to water plants deeply but less frequently, as the weather cools down. Adjust your watering schedule based on rainfall.
- Cleaning: Clear away fallen leaves and plant debris to prevent pests and diseases. Add healthy organic matter to your compost pile.
- Tool Maintenance: Clean, sharpen, and oil your garden tools to prepare them for the upcoming tasks.
Vegetable Garden
- Planting: Sow seeds for winter crops such as garlic, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Plant leafy greens like spinach, kale, and lettuce.
- Harvesting: Harvest the last of your summer crops, including tomatoes, peppers, and pumpkins. Continue harvesting autumn vegetables as they mature.
- Cover Crops: Sow green manure crops like lupins, mustard, or oats to improve soil health and fertility for the next growing season.
- Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer to winter vegetables to support their growth during the cooler months.
Fruit Garden
- Pruning: Prune deciduous fruit trees such as apples, pears, and stone fruits after they finish fruiting. Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches to improve airflow and shape the tree.
- Planting: March is a good time to plant new fruit trees and bushes. Ensure they are well-watered and mulched to help them establish before winter.
- Protecting: Use netting to protect ripening fruit from birds and other pests.
- Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer to fruit trees and bushes to support their health and future fruit production.
Flower Garden
- Planting: Plant spring-flowering bulbs such as daffodils, tulips, and crocuses. Also, plant autumn annuals like pansies, violas, and primroses for some color during the cooler months.
- Pruning: Prune summer-flowering shrubs after they finish blooming to shape them and remove dead or diseased wood.
- Deadheading: Remove spent flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage further blooming and maintain a tidy appearance.
- Dividing: Divide and replant overcrowded perennials such as irises, daylilies, and hostas.
Lawn Care
- Mowing: Continue to mow the lawn regularly, but gradually raise the mower height to leave the grass slightly longer for winter protection.
- Feeding: Apply a slow-release autumn lawn fertilizer to strengthen the grass and prepare it for winter.
- Aerating: Aerate the lawn to improve drainage and reduce compaction, especially in areas with heavy foot traffic.
- Weeding: Remove weeds by hand or use a selective herbicide to keep the lawn looking its best.
Container Gardening
- Watering: Check containers regularly and water as needed, ensuring the soil is not waterlogged. Reduce watering frequency as temperatures drop.
- Feeding: Use a slow-release fertilizer or liquid feed for container plants to support their growth during the cooler months.
- Protection: Move containers to sheltered spots to protect plants from cold winds and heavy rains. Use frost cloth or covers if necessary.
- Re-potting: Re-pot container plants that have outgrown their pots or need fresh soil.
Herb Garden
- Harvesting: Harvest herbs such as basil, parsley, and mint before the first frost. Dry or freeze herbs for winter use.
- Protection: Move tender herbs like basil and rosemary indoors or to a greenhouse to protect them from frost.
- Planting: Plant cold-hardy herbs such as thyme, sage, and oregano in the garden or containers.
Conclusion
By following this comprehensive gardening checklist for March, you can ensure your garden remains healthy and well-maintained as you transition into autumn in New Zealand. These tasks will help prepare your garden for the cooler months and ensure a beautiful and productive garden year-round. Happy gardening!
