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What to plant in March?
- artvs3
- Mar 2
- 5 min read
The weather, and the soil, are gradually getting warmer. Daffodils are appearing and lambs are out in the fields, but one of the most beautiful things to see at this time of the year are cherry trees in bloom.
Most ornamental cherry trees are cultivars of Prunus cerasus, which come in a variety of shapes and sizes. These decidious trees produce single or double white or pink flowers in March and April, so if you already have one, it should be bursting into flower fairly soon. However, if you don't have one yet, don't despair! March is a good time to plant bare-root cherry trees, while they are still dormant and the soil is warming up.
How to plant it:
Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with reasonably fertile, moisture-retentive soil that doesn’t become waterlogged. Avoid low-lying areas prone to hard frosts. If you are planting a weeping or spreading cherry tree, make sure you allow enough space for it to grow out as well as up.
Soak the roots in a bucket of water while you dig a hole.
Dig a square hole, wide and deep enough to hold the roots. The square hole encourages the roots to spread out after planting.
Plant the tree so that the top of the root ball is just below soil level.
image: gardeners.com Backfill with soil and firm it in well.
Water thoroughly once every few days to encourage deep roots to develop and keep it watered during dry spells for the first year.
Apply an annual mulch of well-rotted compost, 5-8cm thick, over the tree’s rooting area.
Both the height and spread of some types of cherry tree are limited, making them ideal for small spaces and lovely specimen trees to grow in a courtyard, lawn or border. The smallest trees (usually 1.2-1.8m) are top-grafted trees which grow no taller than their trunk at the time of purchase. A single stemmed tree with pendulous branches weeping from the main trunk grows taller, and some varieties can grow up to 12m tall.
Here are some varieties suggested by Gardener's World:
Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rubra’ has a beautiful weeping habit. It bears masses of deep pink flowers, mainly during late winter and early spring. In autumn leaves develop fiery tints of orange and red before falling. Prunus pendula ‘Pendula Rubra’ has been awarded the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 4m x 4m
Prunus 'Shirotae' produces masses of fragrant, semi-double white flowers on dark branches, followed by pretty autumn colour. Its flat crown and spreading habit creates a stunning look. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 8m x 6m
Prunus 'Pink Shell' is a small, spreading ornamental cherry with delicate, cup-shaped pink flowers and pale green leaves that turn orange in autumn. It is excellent for early pollinators. Height x Spread: 8m x 8m
Prunus 'Tai-haku' An ancient cultivar, great white cherry or hill cherry, bears white blossoms much larger than most ornamental cherries, up to 6cm wide. The gorgeous bronze foliage turns green in summer. A large, wide, spreading tree that needs plenty of room, it holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 8m x 8m
Prunus x yedoensis the Yoshino cherry, is a graceful tree that bears a profusion of white-pink flowers in spring. It is a spreading tree with arching branches. Plant as a specimen tree in a lawn, so that its shape can be appreciated. Height x Spread: 12m x 8m
Prunus 'Spire' is a compact and upright ornamental cherry that produces an impressive show of pink flowers from late March. Its colourful foliage begins bronze, turning yellow and green in summer, turning red in autumn. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 8m x 4m
Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ is a beautiful ornamental cherry with an upright or columnar habit, hence its common name, the flagpole cherry. In late spring it’s smothered in semi-double, pale pink blossom, popular with pollinators. The foliage is green-bronze in spring and fresh green in summer. In autumn, the leaves turn orange and red before falling. Prunus ‘Amanogawa’ is one of the best trees for small gardens. It holds the prestigious RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 8m x 4m
Prunus incisa 'Kojo-no-mai' Reaching up to 2m, a compact ornamental bush cherry more like a large shrub, it is ideal for a small garden and can also be grown in a pot. Showy white flowers blushed with pink burst from attractive twisted branches. It has excellent red and orange autumn colour. It has the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 2.5m x 2.5m
Prunus avium 'Regina' An excellent cherry for both flowers and fruits, this rounded variety produces clouds of pure-white blossom in spring, followed by large dessert cherries with superb flavour in summer. Great for a small garden. Height x Spread: 4m x 3.5m
Prunus cerasifera 'Nigra' The black cherry plum is a beautiful, rounded tree and one of the first cherries to bloom in spring. It has dark purple leaves and masses of pink blossom that fades to white, opening from deep pink buds in spring. The purple-black branches are eye-catching, and the foliage turns spectacular shades of orange in autumn. It is tolerant of pollution, so popular for urban gardens. The foliage turns spectacular fiery shades in autumn. It holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 10m x 8m
Prunus cerasus ‘Morello’ The Morello cherry, also known as sour cherry, has beautiful white blossom in spring, followed by fruits that are mainly used in cooking. It is self-fertile (does not need another cherry nearby for pollination) and bears large crops. Morello cherries on smaller rootstocks can be grown as dwarf fruit trees in pots or in the ground or fan-trained against a wall to save space. It can be grown in a north-facing site. It holds the RHS AGM. Height x Spread: 4m x 4m
Prunus 'Pandora' is a compact cherry with a 'vase-like' shape, making it a good tree for the smaller garden. It has pale pink blossom in spring and orange foliage in autumn, and has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. Height x Spread: 10m x 8m
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