Reader,

Happy Spring Equinox and the official first day of Spring! Are you ready to begin your gardening season? I hope so!!

It may be early for some, but if you want to extend your season, its time to start planning your plot and to begin seeding indoors. If that’s NOT your thing. I have spring plants ready to be planted in your existing garden beds. As a garden consultant that is that part, I love the most, the hands-on instruction while we plan and or plant your Kitchen Garden.

What is a Kitchen Garden? A distinct area where your greens, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers grow. Think of it as a Kitchen Garden store in your backyard. Dreamy!

This season, the plant selection includes a variety of different cool weather plants, including colorful edible flowers and delicious herbs. Your garden beds will be visually beautiful and ready for harvest soon after planting. If you are not sure where to start. Book a consult, and we can make a plan.

Outdoor Seed Sowing: When is it time?

Cool-weather crops can be sown or set in the garden when the soil is workable in early spring. Check out the list of cold weather crops listed below.

How do you know if the soil is workable? Grab a handful of soil in, and if the lump crumbles apart when you open your fist, the soil is workable–not too wet or too cold. If the lump is shiny, slimy, or sticky, wait for the garden to dry out.

Vegetable Crops for Sowing or Setting Out in the Garden in March

Before planting in a garden bed, make sure to amend the soil with aged manure or compost and sand if you are planting leafy greens.

Brussels sprouts: Sow seeds or set out hardened-off plants. Sow seed ½ inch deep and 6 inches apart. Over-wintered brussels sprouts in cold frames can be planted in the garden now.

Potatoes: Plant early potatoes later in the month. Hold off planting if the soil is very wet. Set seed potatoes in trenches 12 inches wide and 9 inches deep. Set tubers 12 to 14 inches apart, then draw up and cover them with a ridge of soil. Bees and butterflies love the flowers!

Onions: Set onion bulbs this month in well-drained soil. Set bulb tips just above the soil level. I love to use Onions to define the beds as they make a great border, and if you can catch them before they sprout, onion scapes are a delicious bonus. Not sure what to do with scapes? Learn more!​

Salad onions, radishes, and lettuce: Salad crops can go into sheltered beds. Take time sowing evenly so that you don’t have to spend much time thinning seedlings later. Unless that’s your goal.

Cabbages: Sow seed of late summer cabbages in a sheltered bed. These are large and take up 1 square foot.

Peas: Continue sowing early, round-seeded peas this month. Pay attention to climber’s verse bush peas. Climber requires a trellis or obelisk. You can eat the flowers and the leaves in your salad. Bonus!

Spinach: Sow summer spinach for harvest in May and June. Yum!

Carrot: Sow carrots under cloches or plastic tunnels.

Shallots: Complete shallot planting in well-drained soil. Plant bulb tips just above the soil level roots down.

Asparagus: Set asparagus roots by spreading the roots out and placing the crowns 3 inches below soil level. Dress asparagus beds in advance of planting with aged manure and a 3-inch topping of planting mix or topsoil. Asparagus is a 3-year investment.

Start Tomatoes: For transplanting in the garden in May. Start from seed indoors or large cold frames or greenhouse that does not drop below 65°F day or night. Tomato seed germinates best at 75°F to 85°F. When seedlings get their first true leaves, they should be potted up to 4-inch containers.

Start Herbs: Prepare herb beds as soon as the soil can be worked. Herb beds should be finely rolled and raked; even small clods should be broken up. Sowing can start this month when the soil has warmed—sow chervil, chives, dill, marjoram, parsley, and sorrel.

Happy Spring!

P.S. If you are free 26th March. I have a few spot open form my Salad Workshop Click the image below to learn more and sign up.