Let’s not dwell on it being half-way through March before I posted about growing in March this year. I was busy. And I didn’t have internet much in South America, nor the time to write. But now you have me home, ready to get to work and writing about it!
As typical in Grow Zone 8b (which is our zone overall for Whidbey Island, Wa), March came in cold and dreary, with a side smattering of snow, hail, sleet and wind. But then you hit mid March and you can see the changes coming. You can smell and hear spring coming! I have heard the first Robins singing, and the leaves on some plants are just starting to open. I am waiting to see when the fruit trees will show life (flowering that is).
While there is still a chance of freezing at night till for the next month (till mid April), it occurs now only on clear nights but rarely is a deep freeze. Think more a light frost. Still, you must take care to not plant too early.
For rain can still leave the ground soggy for the next month. This will rot seeds.
But also, the biggest issue is the ground won’t start actually warming up until it’s in the high 40’s at night.
As you can see, that won’t be for awhile.
It isn’t that you cannot grow things, just be choosy. Stick to only cold weather crops. Bush green peas, lettuces, spinach and bok choy for example. Greens are your friend, as are things like radishes. It lets you grow food and feel like something is happening, while you wait for the longer days and warmer nights.
Speaking of daylight, we are closing in on 12 hours of light. That means a lot. From Spring to the Summer Solstice we will jump to 16 hours of light. This is why the greens will grow, even when it is still chilly at night. It will become normal to have warm afternoons this month as well.
If you have a place to seed inside (a greenhouse, a sunny area inside, etc) use it to start seeds so you have plants to set out in the ground, in the coming weeks. It will give you a jump start for growing, and give you potentially an extra crops worth.
Garden Tasks:
- Prune rose bushes.
- Get bare root plants in the ground, such as fruit trees, nut trees, blueberries, berry canes and roses.
- Plant flower bulbs.
- Plant onion sets that are bulbs.
- Weed beds.
- Shape rows if you grow this way.
- Clean out birdhouses, bird baths and bird feeders. Scrub them good.
- Feed existing fruit trees, blueberries and berry canes.
- Turn compost piles. Or start one!
- If getting chicks, this is the season. They will be inside for 5 to 8 weeks time, so that gives you time to get coops and runs ready.
Seeds To Plant:
To see more on when to seed, and transplant, see here.
Below are seeds you can start in March and or are ready to transplant, which are either colder-weather crops, or need a longer start time. The dates are not set in stone, it is a guide of what week may be most preferable to get them started. With a cold/wet spring, waiting a week or two more before seeding is smart.
Needless to say, the start of March is a good time to have seeds on hand, potting soil and small pots – and a sunny window, greenhouse or grow light system on hand. And if you start them later? It’s OK for many crops. And for temperamental ones like broccoli, you always can grow those as a fall crop, where they often fare better than in spring, if you miss the window, or late winter is too warm/cold.
What we are doing is using the last frost date as our guide, and backing up to figure out when to seed, be it inside, outdoors direct, or when to transplant your seedling you started inside.
So for Zone 8b, if the last frost date is April 15th, the dates going back:
- 3 weeks: March 25th
- 4 weeks: March 18th
- 5 weeks: March 11th
- 6 weeks: March 4th
- 7 weeks: February 25th
Seed Chart
Artichokes
- Start inside first week of March on.
Beets
- 48-60 days, seed direct from March and on, every 2 weeks for continuous crops.
Broccoli
- 70 days, start in greenhouse 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.
Cabbage
- 80 to 150 days, start in greenhouse 6 weeks before last frost, transplant 3 weeks before last frost date.
Cauliflower
- 75-85 days. Start in greenhouse 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.
Carrots
- 65-70 days, seed direct in ground, starting a few weeks before last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks for continuous crops.
Celery
- 120 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost and on. Transplant after last frost.
Eggplant
- Start indoors first week of March and on.
Greens
- Bok Choy: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
- Kale: 50-70 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
- Spinach: 44 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
- Swiss Chard: 55 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
- Swiss Chard and Kale can be reseeded, directly, or in greenhouse, through the growing season.
Herbs
- Start in greenhouse in March, transplant or set outside after last frost.
Kohlrabi
- 60 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost.
Lettuce
- Romaine: 60-80 days, start in greenhouse 4 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.
- Other leaf lettuce: 30-45 days, start in greenhouse 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.
Onions
- Eating: 110 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost. (We grow Walla Walla)
- Bunching: 75 days, start in greenhouse 4-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost. Seed every 2 weeks for continuous crops.
Peas
- Dwarf: Seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.
- Bush: 55-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.
- Pole: 65-70 days, seed directly 4 to 6 weeks before last frost.
Peppers
- Hot: 70 days, Start in greenhouse 8 to 12 weeks before last frost. Transplant after
- Sweet: 75 days, same as above.
- Ancho: 80 days, same as above.
Potatoes
- Start planting on 3rd week of March. Start prep of seed potatoes a week before.
Pumpkin
- Jack Be Little: 95 days, start seeds 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost.
- Regular Pumpkins: 90-120 days, start 2 to 6 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.
Rhubarb
- Start 8 to 12 weeks before last frost, in greenhouse. Transplant after last frost. Let establish before you harvest plants. A full year is the best.
Spinach
- Start direct seeding start of second week of March and on.
Squash
- Summer Squash: 40-70 days, seed direct after last frost. If starting in greenhouse, 2 to 6 weeks before last frost.
- Butternut: 95 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.
- Winter Squash: 105-110 days, start in greenhouse 2 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.
Strawberry
- Alpine: Alpine plants produce ever bearing, for a fall crop from first year plants, start seeds in greenhouse 8-12 weeks before last frost. Slow germination is normal, up to 14 weeks time. Once last frost is passed, transplant to gallon pots, set outside to finish growing.
Tomatoes
- Dwarf: 60 days, start in greenhouse 4 weeks before last frost, or for bigger plants, up to 8 weeks. Transplant in first week of May (if warm enough, last year it was mid-June!).
- Shorter Season: 48-68 days, same as above.
- Heirloom: 60-80 days, same as above.
Turnips
- Direct seed March 15th and on.
See here for more about growing on Whidbey Island, Wa.
~Sarah