The days are starting to get longer and warmer (honestly) in March and it’s a great time to REALLY get started in the vegetable garden. This month you can not only continue starting some seeds off indoors – whether that’s a greenhouse, polytunnel, or windowsill, but you can also plant some seeds directly into the ground – weather of course depending! Some of the vegetables that we plant in March are those that need a long growing season, others – like one of our favourites, beetroot, and salad we sow early so that we can start enjoying them in the late spring. Here’s our guide to what vegetables to plant in March – inside, in the greenhouse, in the polytunnel, and also outside too.
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What 10 Vegetables to Plant in March
Somewhat warmer days, long days, and spring flowers appearing means that it’s time to get to work in the vegetable garden. You’ll be able to transplant some vegetables that you started earlier inside, and also sow vegetable seeds directly into the ground. We’ve split this guide into what vegetables to plant outside in March and what vegetables to plant inside in March.
TOP VEGETABLES TO GET GOING IN MARCH
Indoors: Tomatoes – definitely my favourite – get these started now!
Outdoors: Potatoes – they’re easy, cheap, and amazing when you grow your own. Start now.
Starting vegetables off inside – either in window sills, or even better in a greenhouse or a polytunnel is a fabulous way to REALLY extend your growing season.
Top PRODUCT PICK
This mini greenhouse is small, compact and easy to put up and store in the winter. It’s not expensive and its reasonably robust.
We wrote more about the best mini-greenhouses here – and you can also see details on what we think are the best polytunnels here.
6 Vegetables to Plant Outside in March
I’ll preface this by saying you’ll need to watch the weather forecasts and ensure that the ground isn’t too waterlogged (or frozen) before planting any vegetable seeds outside in March. But here’s what you can usually plant outside in March in the UK.
1. Start Growing Asparagus from Crowns in March
You can grow Asparagus from seed, it is surprisingly easy to grow and it can save you a lot of money. However, it is better (and easier) to grow asparagus from one-year-old plants – called crowns – and plant asparagus crowns in March (and April). Asparagus grows best in a sunny site, but will also tolerate shade. You’ll need well-drained soil or compost. And you shouldn’t plant a bed previously used for asparagus to this year’s asparagus. Rotate! Harvest asparagus in its third year from mid-April for about 6 weeks. After this third year, you can harvest for 8 weeks from mid-April. You can read our guide to growing Asparagus here.
And you can order ahead or buy your asparagus crowns here.
Top PRODUCT PICK
Asparagus Crowns are only in stock in season, so you’ll likely have to preorder them for delivery during the season. These are super quality crowns for when you’re ready.
2. Plant Rhubarb Outside in March
You can grow rhubarb easily from seed and plant directly into the ground, but you won’t be able to harvest from rhubarb plants until their second year. That’s why we recommend growing rhubarb from year old plants called crowns. That way you’ll skip having to wait a year and get to the good stuff of harvesting (and eating!) your rhubarb. Rhubarb doesn’t react well to being transplanted, so you’ll want to try and plant it where it will live its life. We like to grow rhubarb in pots so that we’re able to move the pots around depending on the weather.
These varieties of rhubarb are just fabulous for planting as crowns.
3. Plant out Potatoes in March
If you’ve been chitting your first early potatoes then in mid to late March you can start planting them out. It’s best (we think) to plant out at regular intervals so that you can have a regular ongoing harvest. We recommend growing potatoes in potato growing bags – it’s such an easy way to grow potatoes and makes it seriously easy to manage and control. Growing potatoes in bags mean that it’s easy to protect them from frost if the frost appears once they’ve developed shoots above the compost. Here’s all you need to know about how to grow potatoes in bags.
These potato varieties are our favourites for planting in March
Top PRODUCT PICK
These fabulous potato growing bags are superb (and not just for potatoes!) they’ll last for season after season, and are really easy to use.
4. Plant Beetroot Outside in March
Beetroot can germinate in lower temperatures, so you can sow it outside directly into the ground in March. Beetroot is one of the vegetables that we prefer to grow in pots – which means that we can sow and keep the young plants in the greenhouse if the weather is bad and then move it outside when the weather is better. It’s also one of the vegetables that we also store for later by preserving (here’s how).
These varieties of beetroot are just super for growing in the UK
5. Plant Onion Sets In March
You can plant out onion sets in March. You’ll want to ensure that they are not shooting before you plant them. Picking up discounted onion sets at the garden centre is a good way to save money by growing vegetables, but you’ll want to ensure that you reject any that are shooting. This just means that they’ll bolt during the summer. If you’ve started onions from seed, then you’ll want to plant them now. Read our guide to growing onions here.
Here are our favourite onion sets to plant in March.
6. Plant Carrots in March
March is the best time to plant carrots. We recommend planting them in pots and using succession sowing – plant up a container or two a week to get a good supply of carrots throughout the summer and autumn. We love Chantenay carrots, which are a great variety to plant in pots – there’s more about growing carrots in our guide here.
These Chantenay Carrots are just fabulous to plant in March. Buy carrot seeds now!
4 Vegetables to Plant Indoors
When you don’t have a lot of space but want to both extend your growing season AND grow some vegetables and herbs that need a little more warmth than your current climate brings – you need either a small greenhouse or a polytunnel. A mini greenhouse was one of our first investments – it helped us to that first year of 400 tomatoes. It grew chilli plants and in the winter it packed down, was cleaned, and stored away. Later as our veggie gardening grew more serious, it became time for a polytunnel. And they are amazing.
Top PRODUCT PICK
This polytunnel is a great starter kit for your first tunnel. It’s easy to construct, pretty robust and a good price too!
1. Plant Tomatoes Indoors in March
We always start tomatoes on windowsill regardless of whether we have a polytunnel or greenhouse where we are living. Since we started growing them some 12 years ago, it’s something of a habit now and a great way to start the growing season. Tomatoes are also a fruit that we plant in succession so that we have a regular supply throughout the summer. Dealing with gluts isn’t a problem though, over the years our chutney making kit has come in very handy. We’ll try and mix it up by trying new varieties, but our out and out favourites for taste and flavour are here.
- These Moneymaker Tomatoes are great for planting inside in March
- Or try these equally super Gardeners Delight Tomatoes
2. Plant Chilli Seeds in March
Chilli plants will always cheer up your windowsills – and there are some great chilli growing kits available that will let you try out different chilli seeds without the need for buying large packets of seeds.
Top Chilli Growing Seed Packs
Chilli seeds will start to germinate in about 10 days after which point you’ll want to ensure they get enough warmth and that they’re watered regularly. Be aware that the hotter a chilli rates on the Scoville scale the warmer the environment that the plant will need.
3. Plant Salad Leaves Indoors in March
Start planting salad leaves in March and continue to do this throughout the month. Salad leaves and lettuce are a fabulous fresh veg to plant successively throughout the year, and you’ll want to keep doing this through July. With some varieties ready to eat in just 21 days, you’ll find that salad leaves and lettuce will save you a packet when it comes to shopping. Salad leaves and lettuce are seriously quick wins when it comes to growing vegetables. If you sow them continually from about March until September then you’ll get heaps of fresh veg direct from the garden and save a LOT of money compared to supermarket buying.
Try these mesclun salad mixes for a great option > buy salad leaf seeds now!
4. Grow Mushrooms In March
Mushrooms are a particularly easy vegetable to grow and you can grow mushrooms in March and throughout the year. There’s no need for a big investment when it comes to growing mushrooms and there are a variety of types that you can grow.
We particularly like chestnut mushrooms, but you can grow shiitake, oyster, and plain white mushrooms at home quite easily. With a mushroom growing kit (we wrote about the best ones here) you’ll be able to harvest your first mushrooms after about 3 weeks!
Let’s Grow Cook Recommends..
Whether you’re buying seeds, seedlings, plants, propagation gear, gardening tools or items for the kitchen, here are our favourite suppliers.
Best for Seeds & Plants
- Suttons: – OFFERS on Seeds, Sets, Plants and Gardening Tools
- Crocus’s – seeds, plants, seedlings and help with propagation
- Amazon – seeds, plants, and growing kits – check options here
Best for Pots, Containers, Gardening Tools & Compost
- Garden Growing Accessories – The latest offers from Suttons
- Crocus – the UK’s largest garden supplier – Crocus – has great deals on pots, containers, tools & compost.
- Amazon – a superb selection of pots, containers, tools & compost – order here
- Waltons – the UK’s best sheds and garden buildings – options here
Best Tools & Gadgets for the Kitchen & Cooking Aids
- Rediscover the simple pleasures of home cooking with SimplyCook – Try your first box for free (just pay £1 postage) – get offer here
All our monthly vegetable planting guides
- What vegetables to plant in January
- What vegetables to plant in February
- What vegetables to plant in March
- What vegetables to plant in April
- What vegetables to plant in May
- What vegetables to plant in June
- What vegetables to plant in July
- What vegetables to plant in August
- What vegetables to plant in September
- What vegetables to plant in October
- What vegetables to plant in November
- What vegetables to plant in December
Final words on the top 10 Vegetables to Plant in March
March is an exciting time in the vegetable garden. It’s a great time to start many new vegetables in the garden and inside. Whether you’re starting vegetables inside – on windowsills, greenhouses or polytunnels – or outside in March, then there are a plethora of options available to you. We love March in the vegetable garden, it’s a time of such hope and new beginnings, and we hope you’ll love it too!
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