An enthusiastic gardener swears by a £3.99 item from Home Bargains that is a game-changer in winter. You don’t need to wait for sunshine to start planting – as the affordable product helps to bring on seedlings indoors.
Gardening aficionado Sophie, who goes by @lookinsidemygarden on social media platforms, has taken to TikTok to reveal the essential item you should purchase to ensure your plants are ready for the summer season.
In her viral video, she advises: “If you’re a gardener, this is the best £3.99 you will ever spend in Home Bargains.” The clip shows Sophie selecting a wooden shoe rack from the store rack, before effortlessly assembling it at home.
Sophie notes: “It’s so easy to put together, you don’t need the instructions… They’re going to be perfect for our seedlings. March is a busy sowing season and I need lots of space so I can get my seedlings to germinate inside. As soon as they germinate, I get them outside in the greenhouse. So there you have it. Indoor seed station set up, bring on the seed sowing.”
Users flocked to the comments section to express their amazement, with one saying: “Oh my! I’m going to pick two of these up tonight I never thought of using them! Thank you.” Another chimed in with: “I was just wondering where I was going to put my seedlings id started growing this week. Home Bargains here I come.”
A third commentator mentioned: “I like to use clear plastic under-bed storage boxes as a cheap greenhouse. they’re stackable so you can get loads going.” While another said: “I did that last year and it worked so well. Best of luck to your garden aspirations.”
Lastly, a user shared their own experience and said they’d had lots of success with the method. They said: “I’ve been using these on my windowsills for years with planting trays on!”
Gardening jobs to do in March
1. General garden maintenance
- Weed control: Start removing early weeds before they spread.
- Mulching: Apply mulch around your plants to suppress weeds and help retain moisture.
- Clear debris: Rake up leaves and other debris from borders, lawns, and pathways.
- Repair lawns: Reseed bare patches on the lawn and start mowing if the grass has started growing, but only on dry days and with the mower blades set high.
- Clean Greenhouses: Wash glass panels, staging, and pots to maximise light levels and prevent pests and diseases.
2. Soil preparation
- Dig over beds and borders: Incorporate well-rotted compost or manure to enrich the soil in preparation for planting.
- Prepare raised beds: Get them ready for vegetable sowing by ensuring they are weed-free and the soil is loose.
3. Planting and sowing
- Sow indoors or under cover: Start off seeds for tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers, basil, and bedding plants in a greenhouse or on a windowsill.
- Direct sow: Sow hardy annual flowers, broad beans, peas, spinach, and lettuce outside.
- Plant potatoes: Start planting early varieties of seed potatoes in well-prepared beds or grow bags.
- Plant summer-flowering bulbs: Gladioli, lilies, and other summer bulbs can be planted this month.
- Cut back perennials: Tidy up growth left over from winter and make space for new growth.
4. Pruning and Dividing
- Prune roses: Cut back hybrid teas and floribunda roses to promote strong, healthy growth.
- Divide perennials: Lift and divide clumps of crowded perennials like hostas and hardy geraniums.
- Trim lavender: Lightly shape lavender bushes, but avoid cutting into the woody parts.
- Prune shrubs: Remove dead or crossing stems from shrubs like hydrangeas, buddleias, and fuchsias.
- Cut back ornamental grasses: Chop back last year’s growth to make way for new shoots.