March is the month when the weather usually starts to get better and things are springing into action. March is the meteorological beginning of spring but the weather can still be bad, and can catch people out.

Potatoes
If you haven’t done so now, dig over your potato beds and add plenty of organic matter. Potatoes are hungry plants and will benefit from the extra nutrients. If you live in a warmer part of the country, first earlies can go in from the middle of the month, although it is worth waiting until the beginning of April to avoid late frosts.

Weeds
Given the chance, weeds will start to appear from nowhere. Annual weeds can be hoed but perennial weeds will need to be dug up and every scrap of root removed.

What to sow
You can start sowing directly into the soil however if the weather is bad, cover the area with a cloche to help with germination and protect the young seedlings. Here’s a few things you can sow this month:

• Parsnips
• Carrots
• Shallots
• Onions
• Spring Onions
• Beetroot (fast maturing varieties)
• Lettuce

What you can be eating now

• If you have any leeks or parsnips in the ground, lift and freeze them to use at a later date before they start to re-grow.
• Brussels sprouts, kale, winter cauliflowers and swedes should still be giving you a harvest but will be coming to an end soon.
• You might be lucky and be able to harvest some spring cabbage towards the end of the month.
• You should still be harvesting purple sprouting broccoli.