March Garden Chores for All USDA Grow Zones

Planting by USDA Zone is a good starting point to get a handle on what you should be thinking of planting and when. If you pair this overview of gardening tasks by zone with experience, local knowledge and good year on year note taking then you will be well on your way to a successful and confident gardener in no time!

ZONE 4

If you haven’t already, now is a great time to prune your fruit trees, berry bushes, and other woody ornamentals on your property.
If you haven’t already direct sown flowers that benefit from stratification, you can sow outdoors seeds like Nigella, Poppy, and Larkspur so they get a few weeks of cold temps which will aid in their germination.
The longer days and shorter nights will stimulate your houseplants to start growing again. Now is a good time to repot them if needed and give them a good feeding.
Start seeds inside for broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, head lettuce and parsley. Most perennial flowers should be started inside by the end of the month as well.
Avoid the spring rush and take your lawn mower and any other mechanized tools you use in for service.
On nice days, turn your compost pile. Resist working your garden soil! Working soil when it is still too cold and wet creates compacted clots.

ZONE 5

If you haven’t already, now is a great time to prune your fruit trees, berry bushes, and other woody ornamentals on your property. You want to complete this while still dormant and before spring growth begins.
Direct sow outdoors seeds like Nigella, Poppy, and Larkspur so they get a few weeks of cold temps which will aid in their germination.
The longer days and shorter nights will stimulate your houseplants to start growing again. Now is a good time to repot them if needed and give them a good feeding.
Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant.
Avoid the spring rush and take your lawn mower and any other mechanized tools you use in for service.
On nice days, turn your compost pile. Resist working your garden soil! Working soil when it is still too cold and wet creates compacted clots.
Clean up any leftover dried debris from garden beds and toss in the compost pile.
Buy a notebook and use it to keep all your gardening information. List what you plant in the garden. Include the name of seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. During the growing season keep notes on how well the plant does. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens.
Place birdhouses built this winter outdoors this month. Birds will begin looking for nesting sites soon.

ZONE 6

Plant peas, potatoes and parsley towards the end of the month directly in the garden.
If you haven’t already, now is a great time to prune your fruit trees, berry bushes, and other woody ornamentals on your property. You want to complete this while still dormant and before spring growth begins.
Direct sow outdoors seeds like Nigella, Poppy, and Larkspur so they get a few weeks of cold temps which will aid in their germination.
The longer days and shorter nights will stimulate your houseplants to start growing again. Now is a good time to repot them if needed and give them a good feeding.
Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant and any other cool season veg you’d like to grow.
Avoid the spring rush and take your lawn mower and any other mechanized tools you use in for service.
On nice days, turn your compost pile. Resist working your garden soil! Working soil when it is still too cold and wet creates compacted clots.
Clean up any leftover dried debris from garden beds and toss in the compost pile.
Buy a notebook and use it to keep all your gardening information. List what you plant in the garden. Include the name of seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. During the growing season keep notes on how well the plant does. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens.
Place birdhouses built this winter outdoors this month. Birds will begin looking for nesting sites soon.
Get a soil test if you haven’t already done so.
Towards the end of March, remove winter protection from any perennials you had in place, and pull back mulch from strawberry and asparagus beds so they can push through easily. Side-dress you asparagus with a gentle, natural, nitrogen fertilizer.

ZONE 7

The longer days and shorter nights will stimulate your houseplants to start growing again. Now is a good time to repot them if needed and give them a good feeding.
Add organic matter to soil to improve soil tilth and drainage.
Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant- try to get this done by the 15^th.
By the end of March you should be safe to start the process of hardening off for transplant outside of your onions, parsley, and any other cool season crops that are at least 5 weeks old. Select smaller rather than larger plants of the cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) since overly mature plants exposed to low temperatures early in the season tend to bolt into flower too early.
Direct sow carrots, Swiss chard, peas, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, beets, leaf lettuce, radishes, salsify and spinach as soil and weather conditions permit.
On nice days, turn your compost pile. Or start one!
Be careful working your garden soil! Working soil when it is still too wet creates compacted clots. Wait for dry spells.
Clean up any leftover dried debris from garden beds and toss in the compost pile.
Buy a notebook and use it to keep all your gardening information. List what you plant in the garden. Include the name of seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. During the growing season keep notes on how well the plant does. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens.
Place birdhouses built this winter outdoors this month. Birds will begin looking for nesting sites soon.
Get a soil test if you haven’t already done so.
Plant new beds of bare-root asparagus and strawberries.
Towards the middle of March, remove winter protection from any perennials you had in place, and pull back mulch from strawberry and asparagus beds so they can push through easily.
Side-dress your asparagus with a gentle, natural, nitrogen fertilizer.
Fertilize grapes, raspberries, and blueberries before growth resumes.
Raspberry canes that will produce this year's crop should be pruned back by 1/4 before growth resumes. Last year's fruiting canes should have been cut down to the ground after harvest last year but if not, do it now.

ZONE 8

The longer days and shorter nights will stimulate your houseplants to start growing again. Now is a good time to repot them if needed and give them a good feeding.
Add organic matter to soil to improve soil tilth and drainage.
Start transplants indoors of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant- try to get this done by the 15^th.
By the end of March you should be safe to start the process of hardening off for transplant outside of your onions, parsley, and any other cool season crops that are at least 5 weeks old. Select smaller rather than larger plants of the cole crops (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts) since overly mature plants exposed to low temperatures early in the season tend to bolt into flower too early.
Cover Brassica crops with floating row cover to protect from cabbage moth and flea beetle damage if these little critters have been a problem in the past.
Continue to direct sow carrots, Swiss chard, peas, collards, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, beets, leaf lettuce, radishes, salsify and spinach as soil and weather conditions permit.
Plant seed potatoes with lots of organic matter.
On nice days, turn your compost pile. Or start one!
Be careful working your garden soil! Working soil when it is still too wet creates compacted clots. Wait for dry spells.
Clean up any leftover dried debris from garden beds and toss in the compost pile.
Buy a notebook and use it to keep all your gardening information. List what you plant in the garden. Include the name of seed companies, plant name, variety, planting date, and harvest date. During the growing season keep notes on how well the plant does. If the variety is susceptible to disease, record what was used to treat any problems. All this information will be helpful in planning future gardens.
Place birdhouses built this winter outdoors this month. Birds will begin looking for nesting sites soon.
Plan new landscaping projects on paper first. Do not over plant. Be sure you know the mature size of each plant and allow for growth.
Plant new beds of bare-root asparagus and strawberries.
Pull back mulch from strawberry and asparagus beds so they can push through easily.
Side-dress your asparagus with a gentle, natural, nitrogen fertilizer.
Fertilize grapes, raspberries, and blueberries before growth resumes.
Raspberry canes that will produce this year's crop should be pruned back by 1/4 before growth resumes. Last year's fruiting canes should have been cut down to the ground after harvest last year but if not, do it now.

ZONE 9

Replace declining winter annuals with varieties such as angelonia, gazania, and salvia that will provide color now and into the summer months.
Plant caladium for a showy tropical display all summer.
Plant an array of culinary and medicinal herbs now. In addition to their culinary value, many herbs are ornamental and attract butterflies to the garden.
Warm-season crops, such as beans, peppers, squash, corn, tomatoes, eggplant, and others can be planted now.
Prune trees and shrubs when new growth begins after the end of the dormant season. To guard next season’s blooms, begin pruning after the last flowers fade but before the new buds set.
Fertilize palms, azaleas, camellias, and other ornamental shrubs if needed.
Check sprinkler systems for efficient water use, and March is a good time to set up new irrigation if needed.

ZONE 10

Plant heat-tolerant annuals, such as crossandra, gazania, melampodium, and zinnia that will last into fall.
Plant gladiola corms 6 inches apart and 4 inches deep; stake as they grow. Plant caladium for a showy tropical display all summer.
Plant an array of culinary and medicinal herbs now. In addition to their culinary value, many herbs are ornamental and attract butterflies to the garden.
This is the last month to plant arugula, beans, cantaloupe, carrots, celery sweet corn, endive, okra, radish, squashes, Swiss chard, and watermelon.
Prune perennials and shrubs when new growth begins after the end of the dormant season. To guard next season's blooms, begin pruning after the last flowers fade but before the new buds set.
Add mulch to minimize weeds and conserve moisture during dry weather.
Monitor landscape plants for insects, especially for the presence of aphids on tender new growth. Insects become more active during warm weather.
Fertilize palms and ornamental shrubs if not done last month.
Add variety and interest to the landscape and table for years by planting exotic fruits this month.

	*Article Written by: Angie Lavezzo*
	About the Author: Angie Lavezzo is the former general manager of Sow True Seed. Beyond her professional role at Sow True, Angie's passion for gardening extends into personal hands-on experience, fostering plants and reaping bountiful harvests.