What to Plant in March (UK)

March is when the growing year really kicks off. Light is returning, the soil is starting to warm, and there are jobs to do at last. This is the big sowing month — but don't rush. A warm spell can fool you, so keep fleece handy and let the soil dry a little before you sow outdoors.

Pick the jobs that suit your space and the weather where you are. If a cold snap hits, simply hold off a week — March is forgiving. Check timings any time with the planting calendar, and use the frost-date checker before you commit anything tender.

Sow indoors

On a warm windowsill, in a heated propagator or in the greenhouse — these need warmth and a long season:

• Tomatoes — sow now for a strong start; pot on as they grow.
• Leeks — sow in modules or a seed tray to plant out in summer.
• Celery — sow in warmth; it's slow, so an early start pays off.
• Summer cabbage — sow in modules ready to plant out in spring.

Sow outdoors

Wait for the soil to dry a little and warm up, then sow under fleece or a cloche to take the edge off cold nights. If your soil is still cold and wet, warm it under cover for a couple of weeks first.

• Carrots — early varieties, thinly, under fleece against carrot fly.
• Parsnips — sow direct now; they're slow but worth it.
• Beetroot — sow a short row for an early crop.
• Spinach — happy in the cool of early spring.
• Broad beans — sow direct, or plant out autumn-sown plants.
• Peas — start an early row under cover.
• Salad leaves and radishes — quick and easy; sow a little, often.

Plant out

The ground is workable now, so get your overwintering and early crops in:

• Onion sets and shallots — push into firm, weed-free soil.
• First early potatoes — plant from mid to late March once chitted; earth up or cover if frost threatens.
• Spring garlic — plant now if you didn't get it in last autumn.

Harvest now

The "hungry gap" is near, but there's still plenty coming through from last year:

• Purple sprouting broccoli — at its best right now; pick regularly to keep it coming.
• Leeks — lift the last of them before they run to seed.
• Spring greens — cut young, tender leaves as you need them.
• Forced rhubarb — tender pink stems if you covered a crown.

Jobs for March

• Warm the soil with fleece or cloches a couple of weeks before sowing outdoors.
• Finish chitting potatoes on a cool, light windowsill.
• Top up beds with compost or mulch — a no-dig boost before the season.
• Weed early — annual weeds are germinating now and are easiest to deal with small.
• Watch the forecast and keep fleece ready for cold nights.

New to all this? Don't try to do everything. Start with a handful of the easiest crops for beginners and build from there — our guide to starting a vegetable garden walks you through the basics.

For the year-round view of sowing, planting and harvesting, see the month-by-month gardening guide — it links every month and crop in one place.