What to Sow in March
The gates open — the busiest sowing of the year begins.
March is when spring truly arrives and the soil begins to warm and dry. A huge range of vegetables can now be started indoors, and many hardy crops can go directly into a prepared, warmed bed. Watch the weather — late frosts are still common.
Dates assume a temperate Central European climate. Warmer regions can sow a little earlier; colder or higher areas a little later. Ask a coach if you’d like advice for your own climate zone.
Start indoors / under cover
Tomatoes
VegetablesSow 0.5 cm deep at 18-21°C — the ideal month for both greenhouse and outdoor varieties.
Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli)
VegetablesSow 1 cm deep in trays and grow on cool and bright before transplanting.
Lettuce
VegetablesSow thinly on the surface at 12-18°C for early transplants.
Basil
HerbsSow 0.5 cm deep and keep warm (18-20°C); basil hates cold, so keep it indoors for now.
Sow direct outdoors
Carrots & parsnips
VegetablesSow 1-2 cm deep in fine, stone-free soil. Sow parsnips fresh — the seed does not keep well.
Beetroot, radish & spring onions
VegetablesSow 1-2 cm deep in rows once the soil is workable and crumbly.
Peas, spinach & early salad
VegetablesSow 2-3 cm deep; protect early sowings with fleece if hard frost threatens.
Tips for March
- Do not rush direct sowing into cold, wet soil — seed rots. Squeeze a handful of soil; if it stays in a wet ball, wait.
- Harden off any indoor-raised plants gradually before they face the open garden.
- Keep fleece close at hand — a clear March night can still bring a sharp frost.
Harvesting now
Purple sprouting broccoli, the last leeks, and early forced salads.