Laura’s Garden Notes – What to plant in March

Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.

With higher prices at the grocery store and roadside vegetable stand, I am more determined than ever to have a thriving garden this spring. Signs of spring are all around: warm-again cool-again temperatures, perennials budding up and pollen on the wind. Curbsides have sprouted racks of vegetable seedlings for sale, and I am itching to find a place for them in my garden.
Jefferson County Ag Agent DeAnthony Price recently gave me a set of handy planting charts, one for each month, and you can access them at gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu. I'm excited to see that here in North Florida during the month March, I can easily transplant arugula, eggplant, ginger, peppers, Swiss chard, tomatillo and tomatoes. With extra care, I could transplant Boniato spinach and sweet potatoes. I can even get going with some seeds, including beans, cantaloupes, carrots, corn, cucumber, okra, onions, peanuts, peas, radish, squashes and watermelon.
Looks like I'd better expand my garden space! I'll want to pace myself, and to do that I'm peeking ahead at April and May to see what crops I might still be able to start later and which ones fall into the category of March or never (or at least until next year).
Some plants I can start as seeds indoors, and they won't need garden space until more of the cool-season crops have finished and made way for the warm season crops. I'll also need to consider that things in the garden could still get zapped by cold into mid March.
According to the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, gardeners in our area have a chance of seeing freezing weather through March 15, but many of us are willing to take a risk by planting crops before that while being ready to provide protection if the thermometer takes a dive.
A light freeze (29 to 32 degrees Fahrenheit) can kill the more tender plants. A moderate freeze (25 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit) will damage most vegetation, especially blossoms. A severe freeze of 24 degrees or less will damage almost all plants, and certainly all vegetables.
Frost is not the only thing to worry about in cooler weather. Different seeds require a certain soil temperature to germinate. They will remain dormant until they are warm enough to sprout. Most vegetables require a temperature of 75-90 degrees Fahrenheit.
Already going in the garden from last month are onions, kale, lettuce, peas and Swiss chard, and I've purchased some seedlings of collards, purple romaine, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and banana peppers to add this weekend. Later in the month, I'll be putting in bean, squash and cucumber seeds.
Here's some more information I found about specific crops to help with your own garden planning:

Bush beans are a nutritious crop, but take up a lot of space. If you have a small garden, consider using pole beans instead: they yield two to three times more in the same space, according to Cornell University. Bush beans enjoy full sun, but will tolerate partial shade. They take 50-60 days until harvest. They should be planted two to three inches apart and one to two inches deep.
They are especially prized by the Edible Landscaping movement, because the plants are both attractive and edible. Do not plant inside, as beans do not like to be transplanted.

Pole beans take a bit more preparation and set up than bush beans, but the benefit comes in the yield. Since the crops grow up instead of out, you get more beans per square foot. These should be planted three to six inches apart and one to two inches deep. Consider planting along a chain link fence for beauty, privacy and edible landscaping. These take 55-70 days until harvest. Do not plant inside, as beans do not like to be transplanted.

Cantaloupes are a tasty summer treat, but to eat them in summer you must plant them in spring. Cantaloupes take 75-90 days until harvest. Plant them widely at 24-48 inches apart. The plants will grow all over the place, but will produce many melons. These are not recommended for small gardens because of the space they take up. If you do have a large space, address irrigation before planting: the melons require a plentiful water supply until they are about the size of tennis balls to ensure proper maturation. Plant seeds one to two inches deep.

Corn is a popular crop here in Florida. It yields 115 pounds of produce per 100 square feet of space. It is often found on dinner tables next to barbecue in the summer time. It requires rich, fertile soil and plenty of water, so address these needs before planting. Corn can take up a lot of space: to mitigate this, co-plant with pole beans. The pole beans will use the corn stalks as support (and you don’t have to build supports) and the shared space will allow a higher yield for smaller gardens. Plant corn 12-18 inches apart and one to two inches deep. A single row of corn will not do: corn should be planted at least 4-5 rows deep for proper pollination. It takes 60-95 days until harvest.

Okra is another staple of Southern cuisine. Some love it, some hate it, but everyone can agree that the best okra is fresh. Okra takes 50-75 days to harvest, so plant soon for an early summer harvest. Plant the seeds one to two inches deep and 6-12 inches apart. Okra is good fried and stewed. When stewing, add tomatoes and onions. The tomatoes provide an acid to cut the slimy texture of the okra and the onions provide flavor.

Onions. You can no longer plant bulbing onions, as they prefer winter temperatures, but green bunching onions can be planted starting in March. These onions are primarily prized for their tops, not their bulbs. Cut these up and add them to anything, raw or cooked. They have a mild flavor. These plants require well-drained and rich soil; standing water will spoil the bulbs. From transplants, they take only 30-40 days until harvest. Plant in groups every ten days to have a continuous supply.

Summer squash can also be used in Three Sisters planting, instead of the pumpkins. Yellow Crookneck and zucchini are the best know varieties. Alternating these plants in a single row is a great idea for the supper table; they are delicious sautéed together. Summer squashes take 40-55 days until harvest (or 35-40 days from transplant). Plant 24-36 inches apart, as squash plants enjoy their elbow room.