March Madness: Gardening Tasks to Do Now for a Big Summer Win

March is a critical month for gardeners as winter transitions into spring. It is also one of our busiest months at Sow Right Seeds. We are working hard to send out seeds at a rapid pace to keep all our gardening friends on schedule.

It’s also time to start a majority of our seeds indoors and make sure we’ve got our garden plan in place, including succession planting. The indoor grow station is bursting with seedlings, and we check the weather every day.

• Clean up garden beds, remove debris, and apply compost.

• Divide dormant perennials like daylilies and hostas.

• Gradually remove mulch from strawberries as temperatures warm.

• Inspect tools and sharpen pruners.

• Check soil temperature before planting; aim for 40°F+ for hardy crops.

• Start seeds indoors for warm-weather crops:

  • Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, gomphrena.

• Direct sow cool-weather crops:

  • Carrots, beets, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, radishes, peas.

• Transplant hardy seedlings :

  • Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, onions, cilantro, parsley (mid-March).

• Add a fresh layer of mulch to conserve moisture.

• Keep an eye on nighttime temperatures and use row covers if needed.

• Begin watering and fertilizing overwintered plants.

• If you overwintered crops like spinach or kale, enjoy early spring harvests!

• Refresh garden beds with compost and organic matter.

• Apply a fresh layer of mulch to suppress weeds and retain moisture.

• Plant out transplants :

  • Tomatoes, peppers, and Alpine strawberries.

• Direct sow warm-season crops :

  • Beans, squash, beets, carrots, chard, radish.

• Cool-season flowers :

  • Stock, snapdragons, pansies, violas, and sweet peas.

• Divide perennials like Shasta daisies and yarrow.

• Prune and tidy up herbs—cut back mint, oregano, thyme.

• Watch for pests: aphids, slugs, and snails. Use organic controls.

• Begin harvesting asparagus, but leave some to mature and go to seed.

March is an exciting month to be a gardener. Use this checklist as a guide to keep you on track. Pay attention to the weather, and use our Seed Starting Planner to get a zip code-specific planting timeline for you.

Spring is just around the corner—don’t wait to get your seeds started! March is the perfect time to start planning a flower-filled garden. If you’re looking for beautiful blooms that are easy to grow from seed, check out our guide to the Easiest Flowers to Grow from Seed. Flowers like Calendula and Zinnias will add colorful blooms to your garden with minimal effort.

What’s growing in your garden this March? Share your planting progress with us in the comments or tag us on social media—we’d love to see your garden thrive!