Gardening in March (Zone 5)

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Gardening in March can feel overwhelming but rewarding. Many, many seeds can be planted mid-march if you have a last frost date of May 15th. I like to start most of my flowers and some secession seedlings indoors. While also having plants in my outdoor winter sowing containers. This gives me many plants with my limited space indoors.

Growing seedlings indoors helps control the environment in which seeds can grow. Gardening in March indoors can give you a head start while your outdoor winter sow seeds are still warming up. This creates a nice secession or garden that will continue to have different plants ready at different times. Lets say you want to extend the growing season and have fresh lettuce all summer, growing both indoors and outdoors can help with that.

For more information on how to start seeds, visit my seed starting guide.

I like to grow broccoli, brussels sprouts, lettuce, spinach and cabbage at the beginning of the month. Then I start the tomatoes, peppers and another round of salad greens mid-March. Below is a fuller list of seedlings you can start indoors.

• Basil
• Bok Choy
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chives
• Collards
• Eggplant
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Kale
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Lettuce/ Salad Greens
• Mints
• Bunching Onions
• Oregano
• Parsley
• Sage
• Spinach
• Swiss Chard
• Thyme
• Tomatillos
• Tomatoes
• Peppers

I start my flowers in the beginning of March. I like growing bee balm, black- eyed Susan, calendula, petunia, and marigolds.

• Daises
• Foxglove
• Phlox
• Echinacea
• Hollyhock
• Beebalm
• Black Eyed Susan
• Calendula
• Anise Hyssop
• Columbine
• Snap Dragon
• Petunia
• Impatiens
• Pansies
• Marigold

At the end of March I will direct sow carrots, radishes, turnips, and beets. I find they do best directly planted in the soil. With the carrots, I plant the seeds but place a board over them until they have sprouted. We can get a lot of rain or snow in March, so I find the board helps the seeds not get washed away. I also make sure to have a row cover to keep the plants warm during cold nights.

• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Radishes
• Turnips
• Peas
• Fava Beans
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Swish Chard

Any time in March is ok the winter sow. I try to get them out in the beginning but life happens. My favorite seeds to winter sow are peas, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cosmos, marigolds, and zinnias. For a complete winter sow list go to winter sowing page.

• Carrots
• Beets
• Bok Choy
• Lettuce
• Peas
• Broccoli
• Brussels Sprout
• Basil
• Parsley
• Cosmos
• Impatiens
• Marigolds
• Zinnia