Care guides › Brisbane › March
March in the Brisbane garden
Early autumn in Brisbane. Subtropical: no frost, a dry spring, then a wet summer. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 5
- What to harvest 21
- Feeding 3
- Pruning and deadheading 26
- Watering 2
- Seasol and tonics 1
- Pests and diseases to watch for 4
- Tidying up 17
What to plant in March
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Kale, Broccoli and Cabbage
Plant seedlings in late summer to autumn
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Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
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Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
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Cauliflower
Plant seedlings in late summer
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Silverbeet
Sow or plant seedlings
What to harvest in March
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Carrot
Pull from about 12 weeks after sowing
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Leek
Lift as needed through winter
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Apple Tree
Pick when the fruit twists off easily
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Pear Tree
Pick firm and ripen indoors
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Fig Tree
Pick when soft and drooping on the stalk
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Raspberry Cane
Pick every couple of days
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Passionfruit
Collect fruit as it drops; wrinkled is ripe
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Grape Vine
Pick bunches when the grapes taste sweet
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Feijoa
Gather fruit as it drops
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Lime Tree
Pick limes green and firm
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Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
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Finger Lime
Pick when the fruit comes away with a gentle tug
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Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
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Rosemary If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed; it keeps it bushy
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Thyme If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed
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Mint If you have time
Pick often to keep it leafy
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Sage If you have time
Pick leaves as needed; best before it flowers
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Chives If you have time
Snip leaves to 5 cm; the flowers are edible too
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Parsley If you have time
Pick outer stems first
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Oregano If you have time
Pick sprigs; dry a bunch before it flowers
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Lemon Verbena If you have time
Pick leaves for tea as needed
Feeding
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Shrubs and perennials
Slow-release fertiliser in spring and early autumn
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Cool-season vegetables
Dig in compost before planting
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Annual flowers If you have time
Liquid feed every 2-3 weeks while flowering
Pruning and deadheading
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Geranium
Cut back by a third in autumn
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Plum Tree
Prune after harvest in dry weather (winter cuts invite silver leaf)
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Raspberry Cane
Cut canes that fruited to the ground; tie in new ones
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Box Hedge
Clip in spring and early autumn to keep it dense
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Yellow Buttons
Cut back by half in autumn so it does not go woody
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Native Hibiscus
Cut back by a third after flowering so it stays dense
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Fennel
Remove seed heads before they drop: it self-seeds aggressively
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Agapanthus
Cut off spent flower heads before they seed: it is weedy
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Viburnum, Photinia and Pittosporum If you have time
Trim to shape in spring and early autumn
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Red Flowering Gum and Red Flowering Gum (Dwarf) If you have time
Remove dead or crossing branches; no heavy pruning
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Lavender If you have time
Light autumn trim to keep it rounded
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Westringia If you have time
A second light clip in autumn keeps it formal
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Bougainvillea If you have time
Prune after each flush of flowers
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Fan Flower If you have time
Trim back by a third in autumn
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Rock Isotome If you have time
Shear back lightly in autumn
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Tuckeroo If you have time
Remove crossing or low branches
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Cushion Bush If you have time
Clip lightly to keep the ball shape
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Snake Vine If you have time
Trim after flowering
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Rose If you have time
Cut spent blooms back to a leaf to keep flowers coming
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Dahlia If you have time
Deadhead to keep flowers coming
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Echinacea If you have time
Deadhead, or leave late heads for the birds
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Geranium If you have time
Snap off spent flower heads
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Butterfly Bush If you have time
Cut off spent flower spikes
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Dianella If you have time
Cut old flower stems once the berries drop
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Salvia If you have time
Cut spent spikes back to the next buds
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Rudbeckia If you have time
Deadhead for more flowers, or leave heads for birds
Watering
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Tree Fern
Water down the top of the trunk into the crown, daily in heat
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Cool-season vegetables If you have time
Keep evenly moist; water when the top few cm are dry
Seasol and tonics
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Natives, shrubs and perennials, azaleas, camellias and other acid-lovers, citrus and fruit If you have time
Seaweed tonic (e.g. Seasol) in spring and autumn, and after a heatwave
Pests and diseases to watch for
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Every Brisbane garden If you have time
Humid weather: watch for leaf spot and mildew; thin crowded growth for air
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Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage If you have time
Cabbage white caterpillars: check under the leaves, squash eggs and grubs, or net the crop
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Tomato, Capsicum and Eggplant If you have time
Fruit fly: check fruit for stings and set traps
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Lilly Pilly If you have time
Psyllids pimple new leaves: cut off affected growth
Tidying up
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Summer vegetables
Pull out spent plants and compost them
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Banksia If you have time
Cut old cones off with a short length of stem
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Kangaroo Paw If you have time
Remove blackened or tatty leaves
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Lomandra If you have time
Pull out old flower stalks
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Star Jasmine If you have time
Tie new runners in to the support
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Jasmine If you have time
Pull out runners that root where they touch the ground
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Hardenbergia If you have time
Tie new growth in to the support
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Creeping Boobialla If you have time
Trim the edges to keep it in bounds
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Kidney Weed If you have time
Pull weeds out of the mat
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Running Postman If you have time
Lift runners off nearby shrubs
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Poa Tussock If you have time
Pull out seedlings where you do not want them
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Strawberry If you have time
Trim runners; pot up the best for new plants
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Gymea Lily If you have time
Cut the old flower spike at the base and remove dead leaves
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She-oak If you have time
Leave the fallen needles under it as mulch
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Wallaby Grass If you have time
Mow or cut back after it seeds
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Pigface If you have time
Trim runners to keep it in bounds
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Cousin It If you have time
Trim the strands where they run onto paths
Not listed: Cherry Tree, Blackcurrant Bush, Gooseberry Bush, Rhubarb, Blue Leschenaultia, Boronia and Common Heath, which don't suit Brisbane's climate.