Care guides › Melbourne › March
March in the Melbourne garden
Early autumn in Melbourne. Cool temperate: frosty winters and warm, dry summers. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.
- What to plant 14
- What to harvest 29
- Feeding 4
- Pruning and deadheading 26
- Watering 2
- Seasol and tonics 1
- Pests and diseases to watch for 3
- Tidying up 16
What to plant in March
-
Kale, Broccoli and Cabbage
Plant seedlings in late summer to autumn
-
Parsley and Silverbeet
Sow or plant seedlings
-
Lettuce
Sow or plant every few weeks for a steady supply
-
Carrot
Sow seed direct every few weeks
-
Spinach
Sow in cool weather; it bolts in heat
-
Cauliflower
Plant seedlings in late summer
-
Garlic
Plant cloves pointy end up
-
Allium
Plant bulbs in autumn
-
Foxglove
Plant in autumn for spring spires
-
Sweet Pea
Sow seed around St Patrick's Day (mid March)
-
Coriander
Sow in cooler months; it bolts in heat
-
Daffodil
Plant bulbs twice their own depth
-
Paper Daisy
Sow seed or plant seedlings in autumn or early spring
-
Pink Everlasting
Sow seed direct in autumn, where it is to flower
What to harvest in March
-
Tomato
Pick as fruit colours; it finishes ripening indoors
-
Carrot
Pull from about 12 weeks after sowing
-
Cucumber
Pick young and often
-
Capsicum
Pick green, or leave to colour fully
-
Zucchini
Pick at 15-20 cm, every few days
-
Runner Bean
Pick pods young and often
-
Sweetcorn
Pick when silks brown and kernels squirt milky juice
-
Eggplant
Pick while the skin is still glossy
-
Apple Tree
Pick when the fruit twists off easily
-
Pear Tree
Pick firm and ripen indoors
-
Fig Tree
Pick when soft and drooping on the stalk
-
Raspberry Cane
Pick every couple of days
-
Basil
Pick often; take the lot before the first frost
-
Passionfruit
Collect fruit as it drops; wrinkled is ripe
-
Grape Vine
Pick bunches when the grapes taste sweet
-
Feijoa
Gather fruit as it drops
-
Rhubarb
Pull (do not cut) the stalks; never eat the leaves
-
Silverbeet
Pick outer leaves as needed
-
Finger Lime
Pick when the fruit comes away with a gentle tug
-
Warrigal Greens
Pick the soft tips often; blanch before eating
-
Lemon Myrtle
Pick leaves as you need them; they dry well
-
Rosemary If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed; it keeps it bushy
-
Thyme If you have time
Snip sprigs as needed
-
Mint If you have time
Pick often to keep it leafy
-
Sage If you have time
Pick leaves as needed; best before it flowers
-
Chives If you have time
Snip leaves to 5 cm; the flowers are edible too
-
Parsley If you have time
Pick outer stems first
-
Oregano If you have time
Pick sprigs; dry a bunch before it flowers
-
Lemon Verbena If you have time
Pick leaves for tea as needed
Feeding
-
Shrubs and perennials
Slow-release fertiliser in spring and early autumn
-
Cool-season vegetables
Dig in compost before planting
-
Summer vegetables If you have time
Liquid feed every 2 weeks while cropping
-
Annual flowers If you have time
Liquid feed every 2-3 weeks while flowering
Pruning and deadheading
-
Geranium
Cut back by a third in autumn
-
Plum Tree
Prune after harvest in dry weather (winter cuts invite silver leaf)
-
Raspberry Cane
Cut canes that fruited to the ground; tie in new ones
-
Box Hedge
Clip in spring and early autumn to keep it dense
-
Yellow Buttons
Cut back by half in autumn so it does not go woody
-
Native Hibiscus
Cut back by a third after flowering so it stays dense
-
Fennel
Remove seed heads before they drop: it self-seeds aggressively
-
Agapanthus
Cut off spent flower heads before they seed: it is weedy
-
Viburnum, Photinia and Pittosporum If you have time
Trim to shape in spring and early autumn
-
Red Flowering Gum and Red Flowering Gum (Dwarf) If you have time
Remove dead or crossing branches; no heavy pruning
-
Lavender If you have time
Light autumn trim to keep it rounded
-
Westringia If you have time
A second light clip in autumn keeps it formal
-
Bougainvillea If you have time
Prune after each flush of flowers
-
Fan Flower If you have time
Trim back by a third in autumn
-
Rock Isotome If you have time
Shear back lightly in autumn
-
Cushion Bush If you have time
Clip lightly to keep the ball shape
-
Snake Vine If you have time
Trim after flowering
-
Dahlia, Marigold and Cosmos If you have time
Deadhead to keep flowers coming
-
Rose If you have time
Cut spent blooms back to a leaf to keep flowers coming
-
Echinacea If you have time
Deadhead, or leave late heads for the birds
-
Geranium If you have time
Snap off spent flower heads
-
Basil If you have time
Pinch out flower spikes to keep leaves coming
-
Butterfly Bush If you have time
Cut off spent flower spikes
-
Dianella If you have time
Cut old flower stems once the berries drop
-
Salvia If you have time
Cut spent spikes back to the next buds
-
Rudbeckia If you have time
Deadhead for more flowers, or leave heads for birds
Watering
-
Tree Fern
Water down the top of the trunk into the crown, daily in heat
-
Cool-season vegetables If you have time
Keep evenly moist; water when the top few cm are dry
Seasol and tonics
-
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
-
Kale, Broccoli, Cauliflower and Cabbage If you have time
Cabbage white caterpillars: check under the leaves, squash eggs and grubs, or net the crop
-
Tomato, Capsicum and Eggplant If you have time
Fruit fly: check fruit for stings and set traps
-
Lilly Pilly If you have time
Psyllids pimple new leaves: cut off affected growth
Tidying up
-
Banksia If you have time
Cut old cones off with a short length of stem
-
Kangaroo Paw If you have time
Remove blackened or tatty leaves
-
Lomandra If you have time
Pull out old flower stalks
-
Star Jasmine If you have time
Tie new runners in to the support
-
Jasmine If you have time
Pull out runners that root where they touch the ground
-
Hardenbergia If you have time
Tie new growth in to the support
-
Creeping Boobialla If you have time
Trim the edges to keep it in bounds
-
Kidney Weed If you have time
Pull weeds out of the mat
-
Running Postman If you have time
Lift runners off nearby shrubs
-
Poa Tussock If you have time
Pull out seedlings where you do not want them
-
Strawberry If you have time
Trim runners; pot up the best for new plants
-
Gymea Lily If you have time
Cut the old flower spike at the base and remove dead leaves
-
She-oak If you have time
Leave the fallen needles under it as mulch
-
Wallaby Grass If you have time
Mow or cut back after it seeds
-
Pigface If you have time
Trim runners to keep it in bounds
-
Cousin It If you have time
Trim the strands where they run onto paths
Not listed: Lime Tree, Sturt's Desert Pea, Cooktown Orchid, Illawarra Flame Tree and Tuckeroo, which don't suit Melbourne's climate.