From Suitcase to Spade – March on the Allotment
Girl About the North East, Maria shares life on her allotment as she learns the ropes after taking on her Roots Allotment plot last year, she’s discovering what works (and what really doesn’t), one month at a time.
While Girl About is all about travel, we know most adventures start at home – and gardens are pretty perfect places to slow down, get inspired, and plan the next trip.
Expect practical tips, honest lessons, and a reminder that you don’t have to be an expert to get growing.
March is when the garden starts to wake up. The days are getting longer, the soil is slowly warming, and there’s a real sense that the growing season is just around the corner. After the quiet preparation of winter, March brings the first signs of life and the chance to get properly underway.
This is a month for building momentum. Seeds are sprouting, beds are taking shape, and every small job helps set the tone for the busy months ahead. A bit of time here and there really does make a difference, and before you know it, your allotment is full of promise. The warmer, lighter days and later sunsets, mean a quick trip to the patch after work is a possibility again.
Here are the top March jobs to keep your growing space in great shape:
- Finish preparing beds by clearing weeds and digging in compost or well-rotted manure.
- Plant early potatoes towards the end of the month, depending on weather conditions.
- Direct sow hardy crops like carrots, spinach, beetroot, and radishes.
- Continue pruning fruit trees if needed, but aim to finish before growth really begins.
- Protect young plants from late frosts with cloches or fleece.
- Install supports for climbing plants now to avoid disturbing roots later.
Interested in having an allotment? Read how Maria got started, and the work of the Roots Allotment team
Sow Seeds and Keep Things Growing
March is a busy sowing month, both indoors and outdoors. My windowsills are temporarily housing seed trays and my green house is bursting with pots.
Those early seedlings from February should be coming along nicely, and now’s the time to expand your efforts. Indoors or under cover, you can continue sowing:
- Tomatoes
- Chillies and peppers
- Aubergines
- Lettuce
- Herbs like basil and parsley
Outdoors, if conditions allow, try sowing:
- Peas
- Broad beans
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Spring onions
Top tip – keep labelling everything and start hardening off seedlings on milder days to prepare them for life outside. I lifted out my sweet pea and they are now living outside in their pots waiting to be placed in the ground once it warms a little more.
Add Some Early Colour
March is also when you can start thinking about flowers that will brighten your space and support pollinators as the season progresses. Sow or plant:
- Sweet peas
- Calendula
- Nigella
- Cornflowers
- Poppies
These will not only add colour but help create a thriving, balanced allotment. A greenhouse is helpful, but a sunny windowsill still works perfectly well. Just keep turning trays so seedlings grow strong and upright.
A Month of Momentum
March is where all those late winter / early spring plans begin to take shape. There may still be chilly days and the odd frost, but we are heading in the right direction.
With a bit of care, a bit of patience, and a little time each week, your allotment will soon be bursting into life.
Roll on spring.
By Maria Davison
Image credits Maria Davison
