Zone 7b planting calendar

What to plant in March: zone 7b

A rule-of-thumb starting point for zone 7b: last spring frost around April 5, first fall frost around November 5. 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.

These are zone-average dates. Check an area-level frost estimate from thirty years of nearby weather history and this calendar retimes itself.
Typical last frost: April 5
Typical 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 beds2 sowings: Mar 1 and Mar 8

    Turn in compost, cut down cover crops, and let the soil warm two weeks before the first sowing. Sowing again a few weeks later keeps the harvest coming instead of arriving all at once.

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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