March Gardening
Garlic to Onion
Garlic - in March may still be planted, but no time is to be lost.
Herbs - of many kinds may be sown or divided, and it will be necessary to
look over the Herb quarter and see how things stand for the supplies that will be
required. A little later, excess of work may prevent due attention to this department.
Horse-radish - to be planted, if not done already.
Kohl Rabi or Knol Kohl - to be sown in small quantity at
the end of the month, and onwards to August, as required. If cooked while young,the bulbs
are an excellent substitute for Turnips in a hot, dry season.
Leek - Sow the main crop in very rich, well-prepared soil, and rather
thickly, as the seedlings will have to be planted out. With a little
management this sowing will yield a succession of Leeks.
Lettuce - Plant out and sow again in quantity. All the kinds may be sown
now, but make sure of enough of the Cos and smaller Cabbage varieties. In hot, dry soils,
where Lettuces usually run to seed early, try some of the red-leaved kinds, for though
less delicate than the green and white, they will be useful in the event of a scorching
summer. Lettuces require a deep free soil with plenty of manure.
Melon - Raise a few seeds singly in pots, in readiness for putting under
frames on hot-beds next month. Re-pot the plants, and repeat the process if the beds are
not ready, for Melons must not be starved, especially in the early stage of growth. Some
growers make up the beds in March, and sow upon them when the heat becomes steady, but the
practice is somewhat precarious. In a cold, late spring the heat may not last a sufficient
time to carry the plants safely into warm weather. Hence it is more reliable to raise them
now in a warm house, and make the bed at the beginning of April.
Onion - The plants already raised in boxes to be removed to cold frames.
If necessary, they should be pricked off into other boxes in order to avoid overcrowding.
Keep the frames close at first, but give air with increasing freedom as the time
approaches for transfer to the open ground. Sow the main crop in drills nine inches apart,
and tread or beat the ground firm. This crop requires a rich soil in a thoroughly clean
and mellow condition, and it makes a capital finish to the seed-bed to give it a good coat
of charred rubbish or smother ash before sowing the seed.
Source: The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots, 16th Edition
1921, Sutton and Sons