March is an exciting time for anyone who does a bit of gardening. It’s the month when most of the colder weather is disappearing, the days are getting longer – hello clocks going forward at the end of the month. It’s also the month that the garden awakes from its winter slumber and new life starts to appear. So if you are looking at what seeds to plant in March, you’ve come to the right place.
What Seeds To Plant in March
The crocuses and primroses have shown their faces, the daffodils are shining brightly in the spring sunshine, so you are thinking about what seeds to sow in March and what flowers to plant in March. Here are my top tips on what to sow in March.
Potatoes
Depending on the variety of potatoes, you can start planting potatoes in March. If you are growing what is considered an early variety, you can start planting potatoes in March. Also if you live further South in the UK, where it tends to be warmer, you can start thinking about second earlies towards the very end of the month too.
Potatoes are a great one to add to the list when you are thinking about what vegetables to grow in March, as they are super-easy to grow. You’ll need to ‘chit’ your potato seeds. Chitting is a strange word but it basically means letting your seed potatoes sprout before planting them. You can do this by placing your seed potatoes in an egg box on a warm windowsill until the sprouts are about 1 inch in length. Then you plant your seed potatoes.
The easiest way to grow potatoes is in a potato bag. Fill a potato bag with compost, add a chitted seed potato about 6 inches down, with the shoots pointing up. Then water and feed regularly. You’ll want to position your potato bag in a sunny spot to maximise growth.
Asparagus
It’s well worth thinking about growing your own asparagus when considering what vegetables to plant in March, as they are easy to grow and a great addition to your vegetable garden. Asparagus is best grown from asparagus crowns, which are essentially dormant plants. Plant them in a sunny spot during March and let them establish roots.
You’ll have to be patient with asparagus, because although they will grow spears in the first and second years, the advice is not to harvest them, instead leave them and harvest from year three onwards – this will produce the best results. That way the asparagus plant will establish deep roots and you can enjoy tasty asparagus for the next 20 years or so to come.
Sweet Peas
Cultivating sweet peas from seeds is quite straightforward. In the autumn, you have the option of sowing them into compost-filled pots and allowing the young plants to overwinter in a cold frame or a cool greenhouse, but you’ll need to make sure you have the space for them all winter. Alternatively, you can opt to wait until March-time to sow the seeds, either you can direct sow into the ground or into pots.
To prepare the seeds, place them on moist kitchen roll until they swell or begin to sprout. Put the kitchen roll in a sealed container and position it in a warm room. While this step can expedite the germination process, it is not mandatory, as the seeds will still sprout well in moist soil. When trying to germinate sweet peas, use a high-quality compost and sow multiple sweet pea seeds in each pot. Plant them at a depth of approximately 1cm, cover with compost, and ensure thorough watering.
For the best growth, sweet pea plants benefit from having their roots confined to a deep, narrow channel. I often grow my sweet peas inside a toilet roll tube in a warm spot, this helps support long root growth which is useful for sweet peas. Or if you prefer you can choose a tall pot that provides ample space for the roots, giving the sweet peas a robust start in their growth journey. When you are planting out, think carefully about where you will situate your sweet peas in your spring garden. Put them somewhere where you will spend a lot of time in your garden, as the fragrance of some varieties is heavenly and if you treat your sweet peas well, you’ll be enjoying this fragrance well into late summer.
Swiss Chard
March and April are a good time to think about planting Swiss chard or indeed any other type of chard. Some gardeners will fare better by planting their chard seeds indoors and then moving them out when the weather is warmer, but if you live in an area that suffers less from late frosts, you can plant directly outdoors towards the end of the month and enjoy an early summer treat.
Brussel Sprouts
Brussels like a sunny location with well-draining and fertile soil, with good organic matter. You’ll find when they start growing, they will grow quite tall, so it’s best to choose a spot which is sheltered from the wind, otherwise your plants may be in danger of being damaged. Brussel sprout plants prefer relatively neutral soil, so if your soil is very acidic, you can use lime to raise the pH of it to at least 6.5.
Brussel sprouts do tend to need a long growing season, so it is a good idea to start them off in early March, but you might want to either sow them indoors or start them off under cloches to provide them warmer soil and a bit more protection in the cooler weather until late spring. Brussels sprouts fall within the brassica family, so you should practice crop rotation in your garden beds to avoid the build-up of pests and diseases in the soil.
Strawberries
When thinking about what seeds to plant in March, strawberries are an excellent choice. No matter what size your garden is, you can grow strawberries. Whether it’s a small strawberry planter, a hanging bag or even a raised bed, you’ll be able to find a small space for some strawberries.
Strawberries are simply fruits, they just like a bit of sun, somewhere sheltered so the insects can pollinate them, plus you’ll need to make sure you water and feed them regularly for a delightful summer harvest.
Sunflowers
Wondering what flowers to plant in March? Sunflowers are always a firm favourite. They are a great one to get the kids involved, especially if you make it a competition to see who can grow the tallest sunflower.
A lot will depend on the variety that you grow, but sunflowers will take between 11 to 18 weeks to flower from sowing the plant seeds.
You won’t be surprised to know that sunflowers prefer a nice sunny sheltered spot with good soil. This is especially important if you are growing larger varieties as you’ll need to protect them from the wind by staking them too. Sunflowers need a lot of water, especially ones grown in pots. Don’t let them dry out.
Once they have flowered, don’t chop them down. Leave the head in place and the local birdlife will enjoy the sunflower seeds.
Broad Beans
Broad beans are easy to grow from seed. They can be sown in pots under cover starting from late February onward, to later transplant them into the garden in spring. This is particularly advisable if your soil tends to be damp, as excessive moisture can lead to seed rot. To start your vegetable seeds off, sow the broad bean seeds individually into small pots or modular trays. Fill these containers with multi-purpose garden soil and insert the seeds to a depth of 5cm (2in). Ensure the seeds are well-watered and placed in a location with plenty of light.
When the time is right, typically in early to mid-spring, transfer the plants outdoors. Before doing so, it’s essential to harden off your plants for a couple of weeks, allowing them to gradually acclimate to the outdoor conditions. Ensure that the planting area is prepared as described earlier.
Space the plants between 15–23cm (6–9in) apart. You can opt for a single-row setup with plants spaced 45cm (18in) apart or go for a double-row arrangement with plants spaced 23cm (9in) apart. Be diligent about watering in the newly planted broad beans to encourage their establishment in the garden. If you have chosen a tall variety, you will need to support these plants as they grow. You should be able to harvest from late May to June time.
Poppies
Poppies are a flower which shouldn’t be planted in containers. They fair much better planted in the garden.
You can sow poppies directly into the soil from March. Weed the area you want the poppies to grow and take the ground, water the soil and then scatter the seed over the area. Poppies are incredibly easy to look after. They will flower and then seed the area for next year. Once they have finally finished flowering, you can simply remove the old plants.
Cornflowers
Another flower that is incredibly easy to grow and that also self-seed, so will come back year after year. Cornflowers are a friend to the butterflies and bumblebees so are ideal for growing in the garden to attract these.
If your greenhouse space is running low and you are wondering what seeds to sow in March, Cornflowers are a really good choice. They can be sown straight into a prepared and watered flower bed.
Cornflowers aren’t always the typical blue colour that you might expect, now there are a lot more varieties, so you can experiment with the ones that suit your garden colour-scheme.
Understanding the Ideal Time for Planting
When late winter gives way to early spring, this can often be the perfect time to sow seeds for a successful growing season. While the cold weather and last frost date varies across the UK, generally falling between late March and early June, gardeners can take advantage of the milder weather by starting their seeds indoors or in protected environments. The further south you are, the less likely you are to get late frosts, but it’s always good to be prepared with either a greenhouse, cold frame, sowing seeds indoors or using horticultural fleece to protect your early buds.
Best Practices – What Seeds to Plant in March
Before planting, you will want to consider soil temperature. You could invest in a soil thermometer to gauge when the soil is warm enough for seeds to germinate. Sowing seeds directly into cold soil may lead to poor germination rates. A little patience can go a long way in achieving the best chance of success.
To get your growing season under way earlier you could consider using a cold frame, row covers or cloches to protect tender seedlings from late frost. These protective measures can make a significant difference, especially in regions where nighttime temperatures can still drop to levels that may harm young plants.
March is a great time for gardeners in to get a head start on their vegetable gardens and fruit trees. As winter gives way to spring, the soil begins to warm up, creating the perfect conditions for sowing a variety of seeds. With a little planning and attention to the conditions in your garden, you can encourage early growth which should hopefully lead on to a good harvest in your garden later on in the year.
So I hope that has given you some ideas and inspiration of what seeds to plant in march. I’d love to hear what’s on your planting schedule this March.
Read more posts in the Tips Category
