As the days grow longer and temperatures begin to rise, March is a crucial month for gardeners looking to get a head start on the growing season. Whether you’re tending a vegetable garden, flower beds, or a medicinal herb patch, staying on track with a week-by-week plan will help ensure a productive and thriving garden. Here’s your comprehensive March planting calendar.

What is a Planting Calendar?

A planting calendar is a guide that helps gardeners determine the best times to plant, grow, and harvest different crops based on their local climate and growing conditions. It considers factors like frost dates, soil temperatures, and seasonal weather patterns to maximize plant health and yield.

Why Use a Planting Calendar?

• Ensures crops are planted at the right time for optimal growth.
• Helps prevent frost damage to sensitive plants.
• Maximizes harvests by timing plantings correctly.
• Improves garden planning and efficiency.

Week 1: Early March – Preparing the Garden

• Assess Your Garden: Check soil moisture and structure, ensuring it’s not too wet to work with.
• Clean Up Debris: Remove dead plants, weeds, and any leftover mulch from winter.
• Amend the Soil: Add compost, aged manure, or organic fertilizers to enrich the soil.
• Start Indoors: Begin sowing warm-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants indoors under grow lights.
• Plant Cold-Hardy Vegetables: If the ground is workable, sow seeds of spinach, lettuce, radishes, carrots, and peas.

Week 2: Mid-March – Early Planting Pruning

• Direct Sow Hardy Greens: Arugula, mustard greens, and Swiss chard can go directly into the soil.
• Plant Root Crops: Beets, turnips, and onions (from sets) can be planted.
• Prune Fruit Trees Shrubs: Trim away dead or damaged branches to encourage healthy growth.
• Prepare Garden Beds: Raised beds and containers should be cleared, filled with fresh soil, and mulched.

Week 3: Late March – Outdoor Transplants Perennials

• Harden Off Seedlings: If you started seeds indoors, begin hardening them off by gradually introducing them to outdoor conditions.
• Transplant Cool-Season Crops: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kale can be planted outside.
• Plant Perennials Herbs: Lavender, rosemary, thyme, and other hardy perennials can be established now.
• Mulch Protect: Apply mulch around new plantings to retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Week 4: End of March – Warmer Weather Prep

• Monitor Weather Conditions: Late frosts can still occur, so keep row covers handy for protection.
• Begin Warm-Season Preparation: Start warming the soil with black plastic if you plan to grow heat-loving crops like tomatoes and peppers.
• Sow Wildflowers Pollinator Plants: Encourage beneficial insects by planting nectar-rich flowers such as calendula, coneflowers, and daisies.
• Start Watering Schedule: As the weather dries, set up an irrigation plan to keep young plants hydrated.

By following this week-by-week March gardening plan, you’ll set the stage for a successful and bountiful growing season.