DON’T MAKE THESE GARDENING MISTAKES IN MARCH

Ever feel like you're making mistakes in the garden without realising it, only to regret them months later? You’re not alone. Gardening is a learning experience, and sometimes the best way to learn is from others' mistakes—so you don’t have to suffer them yourself!

March is an exciting month in the garden. It’s the time when we’re eager to get growing, but it’s also a period where small missteps can make the months ahead much harder. In this article, I’m sharing three common March gardening mistakes that can set you back—and, most importantly, how to avoid them so that your garden thrives.

If you want less stress and better results this season, keep reading!

Mistake #1: Overwhelming Yourself with Too Much Too Soon

This mistake is personal to me because I’m endlessly guilty of it. It’s so easy to get caught up in the excitement of sowing seeds and planning a productive garden. But before you know it, you’re drowning in seedlings that need pricking out, potting on, hardening off, planting out, and watering.

Suddenly, what started as a joyful activity feels stressful and overwhelming. Sound familiar?

The best way to avoid gardening overwhelm is to plan realistically before you start. Ask yourself these three key questions:

1. Do I have the space? Once seedlings are pricked out, they take up much more room. Just one small tray of seedlings can quickly turn into dozens of pots demanding space in your greenhouse, windowsill, or polytunnel.

2. Do I have the time? Every extra seedling you sow means extra care: watering, potting on, hardening off, and planting. Will you have time to keep up?

3. Do I actually need this many plants? It’s tempting to sow an entire packet of seeds, but do you really need 30 tomato plants or 50 lettuce heads at once?

It’s the same with flower beds and raised beds. Each new area you create needs to be maintained—weeded, watered, mulched, or pruned. Before expanding your garden, ask yourself if you have the time and energy to manage it without turning gardening into a chore.

A little ruthlessness now will make for a smoother and more enjoyable season ahead!

Mistake #2: Not Labeling and Recording Your Plants

This seems simple, but trust me, it’s one of the biggest gardening regrets people have later in the year. I know, because I’ve made this mistake too many times to count!

It’s easy to think, “Oh, I’ll remember what that is,” but months later, when you’re staring at an unknown sprout or a mystery perennial, you’ll wish you had labeled it.

But plant labels aren’t just about knowing what’s in each pot—they’re about long-term learning. Gardening is a long game. You don’t always see the impact of your actions until months or even years later. Without notes, you lose valuable opportunities to improve your garden each season.

For example:

- If a crop fails but you don’t remember the conditions it had, how will you adjust for next year?

- If you plant perennials but forget where they are, you might accidentally dig them up before they emerge in spring.

- If you experiment with different sowing dates but don’t write them down, you miss out on fine-tuning your planting schedule.

Here’s how to fix this:

Label everything. Even if you think you’ll remember, you won’t! Use durable labels and include the plant name **and** the date you sowed it.

Keep a basic garden journal. It doesn’t have to be fancy—a simple notebook or a notes app will do. Jot down sowing dates, weather conditions, and any observations.

Use your phone. Taking photos or short videos is an effortless way to track your garden’s progress. Your phone automatically organizes images by date, creating a visual garden journal without extra effort.

March is a great time to start these habits. A little effort now will save you confusion and frustration later!

Mistake #3: Getting Your Planting Timings Wrong

March is all about timing. Get it right, and your plants will thrive. Get it wrong, and you might lose weeks or even months of growth.

The two biggest timing mistakes I see are:

1. Planting tender crops too early. This leads to disappointment when they struggle or get wiped out by frost.

2. Keeping hardy plants protected for too long. This can cause them to grow weak or even bolt when temperatures rise.

Planting Tender Crops Too Early

Tender crops like tomatoes, chilies, and courgettes **cannot** handle frost. If you put them outside too soon, they’ll sulk, become stunted, or turn to mush overnight.

How to avoid this? Know your last frost date.

A quick trick: Google “last frost date [your location]”, and you’ll find maps with average last frost dates for your area. But remember, these are only estimates! If your garden is in a frost pocket or on a hill, give it an extra couple of weeks just to be safe.

Keeping Hardy Plants Sheltered Too Long

On the flip side, gardeners (myself included!) often coddle their hardy plants too much.

Plants like cabbages, chard, and broad beans can handle cold weather, but if you keep them in a greenhouse or under cover for too long, you risk overheating them. Warm spring days can spike temperatures in greenhouses, leading to bolting (where the plant rushes to flower, making it tough and bitter).

The solution? Harden hardy plants off gradually and move them outside when conditions allow. Keeping them protected for too long can do more harm than good.

Conclusion

So there you have it, three common March gardening mistakes and how to avoid them:

- Overwhelming yourself by growing too much, too soon.

- Not labelling or recording plants, leading to lost learning opportunities.

- Getting your planting timing wrong, which can mean lost crops or weak plants.

March is a crucial month in the garden. A little planning now will make your entire growing season more productive, less stressful, and a lot more enjoyable.

Want to know what you should be planting right now? Check out this video guide below to the best plants to sow and grow in March for colour, flavour, and fragrance in your garden!