Care guides › Sydney › March

March in the Sydney garden

Early autumn in Sydney. Warm temperate: mild winters, light frost inland, humid summers. Here is what needs doing this month, with the essentials first.

What to plant 14
What to harvest 27
Feeding 3
Pruning and deadheading 26
Watering 2
Seasol and tonics 1
Pests and diseases to watch for 4
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
Capsicum

Pick green, or leave to colour fully
Leek

Lift as needed through winter
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
Lime Tree

Pick limes green and firm
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
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
Tuckeroo If you have time

Remove crossing or low branches
Cushion Bush If you have time

Clip lightly to keep the ball shape
Snake Vine If you have time

Trim after flowering
Rose If you have time

Cut spent blooms back to a leaf to keep flowers coming
Dahlia If you have time

Deadhead 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
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

Every Sydney garden If you have time

Humid weather: watch for leaf spot and mildew; thin crowded growth for air
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: Cooktown Orchid, which don't suit Sydney's climate.