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| March garden bed, ready for planting |
Sunday, March 10, 2024
March and April are prime time for cold season crops like greens, cabbage, kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, beets, radishes and cauliflower. In March, you can direct sow (plant seeds in an outdoor pot or your garden bed), start seeds indoors or transplant plants that you have bought locally or raised indoors.
Big box stores have had their seeds on display for over a month now. In our area, plants begin arriving soon in stores or you can order transplants online. The variety available in big box stores continues to expand as more and more of us are growing our own food. If you are wanting something unique, try on line seed companies. Some of my favorites with a good selection of organic vegetables, garden fruits, and herbs-Abundant Life Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, Johnny's Selected Seeds, Renee's Garden, Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Company, Seeds from Italy, Botanical Interest. Many have plants as well as seeds.
If you are not sure what to plant, here are some ideas on figuring that out. How to know what to grow
Using indoor seed starting is a great way to accelerate your harvest by up to two months. Seed packets tell you how far in advance of your last frost date to start your seeds indoors or when to plant outdoors for "direct sowing" in the garden. Just look on the back. Here is a web page to look up your last frost date: Farmers Almanac frost dates
Cold season crops include your greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, radishes, turnips, beets, cauliflower, strawberries and peas. For more on spring gardens, see A spring edible garden Starting these varieties in a portable greenhouse will give you a jump on harvest time. I like starting seeds in my portable greenhouse and once they get to a good, sturdy size, thinning and transplanting out to the garden bed. I have sowed many varieties last month and this month outdoors. Spinach, snow peas, Dragon's Tail radish, parsley and cultivated dandelions have sprouted so far.
March and April is also the time for warm season veggie and herbs to get their indoor start. Summer veggies include beans, tomatoes, corn, melons, basil, eggplant, peppers, okra and squash. Summer veggies go into the garden after chance of frost has passed and the soil has warmed. In our area, it is the first of May for the soil to warm. You don't really get an advantage in planting the summer veggies early because they don't grow until the ground warms up. I just imagine them sitting in the dirt with their roots and stems shivering. See this blog on summer veggies for more info. A summer edible garden
Seeds to start in garden bed or transplant outdoors for our Zone 7a garden
Arugula
Asparagus
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Catnip
Celeriac
Celery
Chard
Chervil
Chives
Cilantro
Collards
Corn salad
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Fenu
Horseradish
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leek
Lettuce
Mache
Mint
Mizuna
Mustard
Onions
Pak choi
Parsley
Parsnips
Peas
Potatoes
Raddichio
Radishes
Rhubarb
Salsify
Scallions
Shallots
Sorrel
Spinach
Strawberries
Summer savory
Turnips
Start seeds indoors
Artichokes and cardoons
Basil
Bay
Bay
Bee balm
Cauliflower
Chamomile
Comfrey
Dill
Eggplant
Edamame
Edamame
Fennel
Kohlrabi
Lavender
Lemon verbena
Lovage
Marjoram
Okra
Oregano
Peppers
Rosemary
Sage
Tarragon
Tomatoes
Thyme
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| Seedlings started in an Aerogarden hydroponic system |
Another trick is to do succession seed starting. For continuous harvests of veggies like broccoli, spinach and lettuce, start new seedlings every 3 weeks and plant out every three weeks in the garden. Keep the harvest going, do succession planting For the early seedlings, use varieties that are described as cold hardy. When you get to April, start seedlings that are heat tolerant. Heat tolerant varieties will resist bolting and bitterness as summer temperatures rise. Keep salads going all summer long
You can also start perennial flowers and veggies indoors as well. For any plant, look at the seed packet for when to plant outdoors according to your frost date. Then back up the time from there on when to start indoors. Typical seed starting is 6-8 weeks prior to the plant out date. For more on perennial fruits and veggie gardens, Perennial veggies in the Midwest garden
For tips on seed starting:
Trying to decide what to plant for this year's garden? Here are some garden ideas:
Don't be worried about the work of putting in an edible garden bed. You can simply grow veggies in your existing mulched beds right along with your flowers in the ground or pots! Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds
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