1. Chit first early potatoes
The experts said: “During the first part of this month if you haven’t already done so, you do need to get your first early potatoes chitting.
“Pop them into an egg box, modular tray or something similar, with the eyes pointing upwards.
“They need to be kept frost-free, so pop them under the greenhouse staging, but a windowsill would do just as good a job.”
2. Sow perennials
Now is the time to “reap the rewards” of the work which has been done in the summer and autumn, when collecting seeds from perennials.
Fill a seed tray as normal, water well and sow the seeds as you would for vegetables or annuals.
Cover with a thin layer of compost if they are staying inside, but if they’re going into a cold frame, cover with horticultural grit.
3. Turn compost
Now the weather is warming up, it’s a good idea to give the compost heap a bit of a “fluff up”.
Take all of the material out of the bin and then pop it all back in again which should help to mix it all up.
4. Cover stone fruit
The experts explained: “Fan-trained peaches, nectarines and apricots are early flowering, so susceptible to the spring frosts.
“Laying over some fleece will help to protect those early blooms and ensure a good crop in summer.”
5. Plant sweet peas
For the keen gardeners, March is also the best time to plant out sweet peas which were sown in November and January.
The pros added: “If you haven’t pinched out the growing tip then do it after planting, as this will give more shoots and therefore more flowers.”
6. Get multi-sown crops on the go
The experts continued: “This is a great way of pushing through quick crops, either to fill in harvesting gaps or to provide a quick turn round in a limited space.
“Fill a module tray with seeds and cuttings or a multipurpose compost. Tap down the tray on your bench to settle the compost, then level off.
“Create small indentations and sow five to seven seeds per cell. Cover the seeds with compost or vermiculite and label and water in.
“Once germinated these are planted out as a clump, grown on and harvested as a clump.
“It takes anywhere between six to 10 weeks from sowing to harvest, depending on the variety grown.
“This method is suitable for beetroot, turnips, kohlrabi, carrots, onions and leeks.”
