What to plant in March: zone 3b
A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 3b: last spring frost around May 25, first fall frost around September 15. Zones are set by winter lows, not frost dates, so two gardens in the same zone can be weeks apart. Measure your ZIP below for dates from your area's own 30-year record.
Start indoors
- Sow microgreens indoorsaround Mar 2
A tray on the windowsill gives you a cut of fresh greens every 10-14 days through the cold months.
- Start onions and leeks indoors2 sowings: Mar 16 and Mar 16
Alliums need 10-12 weeks under lights before they go out. The earliest sowing of the year. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.
- Leekaround Mar 16
10 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Plant seedlings deep in a 6 in trench and hill soil up the stem twice during the season. That buried length is the tender white shaft you're growing for.
- Parsleyaround Mar 30
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Soak seeds 24 hrs before sowing. Cut outer stems and it comes back for years in mild zones.
- Chivesaround Mar 30
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Divide the clump every 3 years: one plant becomes six with no effort.
- Scallion (Green Onion)around Mar 30
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Sow thickly in a band and harvest by pulling every other plant: the rest fill in the gap.
- Lovagearound Mar 30
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Grows 4-6 ft tall once established; give it the back of the bed and divide the crown every few years to keep it productive.
- Catniparound Mar 30
8 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (05-25). Fence it off if cats roam the neighborhood: they'll flatten the plant and any seedlings around it rolling in the scent.
Direct sow
- Rutabagaaround Mar 2
Soil is ready 12 weeks before last frost.
- Daikon Radisharound Mar 30
Soil is ready 8 weeks before last frost.
Dormant care
- Prune dormant fruit treesaround Mar 9
Prune apples, pears and peaches while fully dormant. Open the center, remove crossing wood.
- Check season-extension geararound Mar 30
Patch row cover, cold frames and hoops now so a late freeze can't catch you unprepared.
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