Spring is coming, I can feel it! Gardening in March is so exciting because you can finally start planting more crops outdoors! I am ready to start planting! Today I’m going to give you a list of crops that you can start in March if you live in zone 8.
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If you don’t know what your garden zone is follow this link to find out!
If you don’t live in zone 8, you can check out our posts on zones 3-4, zones 4-6, zone 7, or zones 9 & 10
Gardening in March
Before we get started I want to remind you to figure out what the last frost date is in your area. Typically in zone 8 the last frost date is going to be around April 1st, but it’s important for you to check what it is in your specific area! You can usually find this fairly easily online. You don’t want to start plants too soon and risk losing them to frost!
The estimated planting date will differ depending on if you are planting warm or cool-season crops.
- You can start warm-season crops indoors as early as 6-8 weeks before the last frost date.
- Cool-season crops can be started outdoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost date.
This guide will give you a general idea of what crops you can start planting, but it’s always a good idea to do specific research for your area!
Here’s a video I did on what you can plant in March for zones 7 and 8:
Seeds you can start indoors in March:
Planting seeds indoors is a great way to get a head start on your garden. If you have never started seeds indoors before, check out my seed starting basics mini-course. It’s free and it will give you the basic information you need to start planting seeds indoors.
Now let’s get going! Here are the seeds you can start indoors in March:
Green Beans
Green beans are one of my favorite plants to grow! I love having fresh green beans in the summer! You can learn how to grow green beans by reading this post: How to Grow Green Beans
Peppers
I am already dreaming about the yummy fresh salsa I’m going to make with our homegrown peppers! Gardening in March means you’ll be able to have that salsa ready even earlier! Yum!
Tomatoes
You can still start tomatoes indoors in March! Get them started now so that they’re ready to transplant out into your garden in a few weeks!
Eggplant
We don’t love eggplant, but I know there are plenty of people who do! Get eggplant started this month indoors!
Celery
You’ll need to get celery started indoors this month!
Melons
Fresh watermelon sounds delicious right now! You can get your melon seeds started indoors this month!
Gardening in March: Crops you can start outdoors
Pull out your shovel and gardening gloves, you can start planting outdoors in March! However, make sure that you take the weather conditions in your area into consideration. If it’s been a particularly harsh winter or it looks like it will be a very cold spring, you may need to hold off for a week or two. Use your best judgment! However, all of these plants are cool weather crops, so they are hardy and can withstand the cold!
Crops to plant as transplants:
You can start the crops below as transplants in March.
Broccoli
Planting broccoli is one of the best things about gardening in March! We love fresh broccoli!
Cabbage
Cabbage is a cool-weather crop I’d love to start experimenting more with! It’s a great addition to so many recipes!
Kale
Kale tastes amazing when it’s grown in cooler weather! It’s a great addition to any spring garden. There are several different types of kale. Learn more about the different types and which one will be best for your garden in this article: 3 Types of Kale
Cauliflower
Cauliflower is another great crop to get started in March! We love adding cauliflower to our creamy vegetable soup recipe!
Gardening in March: Crops to start outdoors as seeds
You can plant all of these crops in zone 8 as seeds! Don’t forget to grab some garden labels, so you remember what you planted where!
Beets
Beets are easy to grow and they’re packed full of nutrients! If you want more detailed instructions on how to grow beets you can follow my guide here: Growing Beets in Your Backyard Garden
Carrots
Carrots are one of my favorite crops to grow! They’re great for snacking. Nothing tastes better than a homegrown carrot!
Spinach
We grow a lot of spinach. One of our favorite things to do is make our yummy Strawberry Spinach Salad recipe to use up any extra spinach that we have.
Peas
Peas are easy to grow and they taste delicious! Check out my Growing Peas Guide to learn more about growing peas in your backyard.
Some other crops you can start outdoors in March as seeds are:
- Lettuce
- Kale (you can transplant or start as seeds)
- Radishes
- Turnips
Remember this “Gardening in March” guide is for those of you living in zone 8! Enjoy getting outside and spending some time in your garden! Happy gardening!
If you are looking to purchase seeds check out Honest Seed Co. You can find their website here! Honest Seed Co.
What to Plant in March in Zones 3 & 4
