Start Your Spring Garden!

Rain is slowing, and days will soon be longer, which means it’s time to plant your spring crops and flowers. If you’ve never started a garden, it can be daunting, but don’t worry. Here is a March planting guide to help you get started with your garden!

Vegetables

March is the best time to plant vegetables to ensure they bloom before the warm summer heat arrives. This head start also ensures your vegetables will not be sensitive to potential heat waves as summer approaches. 

• Peas are an excellent option for an early spring harvest as they primarily grow in moderate temperatures. This means your highest yield will be now, before temperatures rise or fall too much.
• Carrots also do best when planted in the winter. However, unlike peas,s they will not grow as well until temperatures begin to rise, as they have a slow maturity rate.
• Potatoes are another good choice because they can germinate slowly in colder temperatures. If planted later, they will risk being stressed by the summer heat.

Flowers

Besides vegetables, March is also an ideal time to plant your spring flowers! With moist soil from winter rains, seeds have a higher success rate of germination and won’t risk being dried out from the summer heat. 

• Sweet peas are one of the best flowers to plant in the early spring because they rely on cold weather to grow. You want to make sure they’re planted early so you don’t miss their peak months of growth and fragrance.
• California poppies are a good plant all year round, but they’re sure to spice up your spring garden with their easy, dependable nature. Because they are native to the area, they are pretty low-maintenance and can grow under almost any conditions. 
• Pansies are ideal for cooler climates, as they show their brightest colors on cool days. This means that by planting them now, you’ll see their gorgeous blooms for months to come before things heat up.