Zone 7b planting calendar

What to plant in March: zone 7b

Zone 7b averages its last spring frost around April 5 and its first fall frost around November 5. Everything below is timed from those two dates, so it stays useful whether you're planting for summer or for a fall harvest.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Last frost: April 5
First frost: November 5
Winter lows: 5 to 10 °F
Zone 7b Almanac. What growers here actually recorded: sowing weeks, days to first pick, and yields.

Garden care

  • Wake the bedsaround Mar 1

    Turn in compost, cut down cover crops, and let the soil warm two weeks before the first sowing.

  • Harden off early transplantsaround Mar 8

    Two weeks of increasing outdoor time keeps cold-hardy seedlings from stalling when they go out.

Direct sow

  • Peaaround Mar 1

    Soil is ready -5 weeks before last frost.

  • Lettucearound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Spinacharound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Radisharound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Turniparound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Arugulaaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mizunaaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Tatsoiaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Mustard Greensaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoli Raabaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Shallotaround Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Endivearound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Escarolearound Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Orach (Mountain Spinach)around Mar 8

    Soil is ready -4 weeks before last frost.

  • Carrotaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kalearound Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Beetaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Onionaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Broccoliaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Chivesaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Kohlrabiaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Bok Choyaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsniparound Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Salsifyaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Lentilaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Sorrelaround Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Flax (Seed)around Mar 15

    Soil is ready -3 weeks before last frost.

  • Potatoaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Cilantroaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Parsleyaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Swiss Chardaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Collardsaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Burdock (Gobo)around Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Watercressaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chamomile (German)around Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Carawayaround Mar 22

    Soil is ready -2 weeks before last frost.

  • Chickpea (Garbanzo)around Mar 29

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

  • Quinoaaround Mar 29

    Soil is ready -1 weeks before last frost.

Start indoors

  • Collardsaround Mar 1

    5 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). The most forgiving green in the garden. Harvest bottom leaves upward and it produces for months. Leaves picked after a frost are noticeably sweeter.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Mar 1

    5 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Grow it as a fall crop where possible: napa bolts in spring heat but forms a tight, sweet head in cooling fall days.

  • Lettucearound Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Succession sow every 2 weeks. Harvest outer leaves for a cut-and-come-again supply.

  • Swiss Chardaround Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Cut outer stalks 2 in above the crown and the plant keeps producing from spring into hard frost. One planting can feed a household all season.

  • Okraaround Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Okra wants hot soil, 70F+, or seed rots. Pick pods at 3-4 in every other day: one pod left to toughen tells the plant to stop producing.

  • Bok Choyaround Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Bolts fast once days lengthen past 14 hours. Grow it as an early spring or fall crop, not a summer one.

  • Peanutaround Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Flowers self-pollinate then push a stalk (peg) into the soil to form the pod underground: keep soil loose around the base.

  • Bitter Melonaround Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Pick fruit while still green and firm; left to yellow and split, it turns bitter to the point of inedible.

  • Luffa (Vegetable Sponge Gourd)around Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Pick young for eating like a squash, or leave on the vine until the skin browns and dries for a bath sponge.

  • Endivearound Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Blanch heads by tying outer leaves shut 2 weeks before harvest to mellow the natural bitterness.

  • Escarolearound Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Broader and milder than curly endive; a light frost sweetens the outer leaves before harvest.

  • New Zealand Spinacharound Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Soak seed 24 hours before sowing to soften the hard seed coat; it thrives in summer heat that bolts true spinach.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Mar 8

    4 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Bolts fast in heat or from a check in growth; keep it evenly watered and harvest the bulb once it's baseball-sized, before it flowers.

  • Cucumberaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Trellis vertically to double yield in the same footprint and cut mildew.

  • Zucchiniaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). One plant feeds a family. Pick at 6-8 in for the sweetest fruit.

  • Winter squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Cure 10 days in a warm dry spot after harvest. The skin toughens and storage doubles.

  • Watermelonaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Ripe = tendril nearest the fruit is brown and the ground spot has turned buttery yellow.

  • Cantaloupe / Melonaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Ripe fruit slips off the vine with a gentle tug. The smell alone tells you.

  • Pumpkinaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Count back 100 days from your first frost to time a Halloween harvest. Cure cut pumpkins in the sun for 10 days and leave 3 in of stem so they store for months.

  • Honeydew Melonaround Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Unlike cantaloupe, honeydew doesn't slip from the vine when ripe; judge by a faint sweet smell and a slight give at the blossom end.

  • Butternut Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). One of the best keepers: cure in the sun 10 days, then store at 55F and it holds for 3-6 months.

  • Acorn Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Ripe rind resists a fingernail poke and the ground spot has turned orange; harvest before frost damages the skin.

  • Spaghetti Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Rind should be uniformly pale yellow, not white or green, before harvest; underripe fruit shreds mushy instead of stringy.

  • Hubbard Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Needs the most space of any winter squash; give it a full corner of the garden or let it run into the lawn edge.

  • Kabocha Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Cure 1-2 weeks after harvest; the starchy flesh actually sweetens in storage over the following month.

  • Delicata Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). The skin is thin enough to eat, so skip the long cure other winter squash need; use it within a month or two of harvest.

  • Patty Pan Squasharound Mar 15

    3 weeks of indoor growth before your last frost (04-05). Pick at 2-3 in across, like a baby zucchini: past golf-ball size the skin toughens fast.

Transplant out

  • Asparagusaround Mar 8

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Horseradisharound Mar 8

    Goes out 4 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kalearound Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Broccoliaround Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chivesaround Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Strawberryaround Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Kohlrabiaround Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bok Choyaround Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Scallion (Green Onion)around Mar 15

    Goes out 3 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Lettucearound Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Onionaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Parsleyaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Mintaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Cabbagearound Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Caulifloweraround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Swiss Chardaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Collardsaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Leekaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Napa Cabbagearound Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Romanescoaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Endivearound Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Escarolearound Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Radicchioaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Sorrelaround Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Bulb Fennel (Florence Fennel)around Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

  • Chamomile (German)around Mar 22

    Goes out 2 weeks before last frost. It takes the cold.

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