March is such a weird month in the garden, especially if you’re in the Midwest or similar climates.

Just this week we had temps that hit 66° and I was outside cleaning out raised beds and prepping for cool weather crops with my grandbabies. But this weekend we’re expecting a couple inches of snow.

Bipolar weather, for sure!

These early spring temperature swings can make it really hard to know what you should be doing in the garden right now. One day feels like full-on planting season, and the next day it feels like winter all over again.

The good news is that there are a few things you can plant now if you keep a few simple tips in mind.

Here are three easy ways to move forward in your garden this month:

1. Direct sow cool weather crops. Some vegetables love cold soil and tolerate unpredictable spring weather. Spinach, peas, and radishes are great examples. These crops can handle light frosts and even a little snow. Their seeds will sit in the soil and germinate when conditions are right. If they grow slowly at first, that’s completely normal.
2. Plant onion sets or early transplants. Onion sets are one of the easiest early spring crops. As soon as your soil is workable, you can tuck them into the ground and let them get established while the weather is still cool.
3. Prep your garden beds if planting isn’t possible yet. If your soil is still too wet or frozen to plant, you can still move your garden forward. Clean out old plant debris, top off raised beds with compost, and start thinking about your layout.

These small steps make the busy planting season feel much more manageable when it arrives.

Early spring gardening is not about doing everything at once. It’s about noticing small windows of opportunity and taking action when you can.

If you’ve already planted something this month, I’d love to hear what you have growing. Hit reply and let me know!
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Happy growing! 🌱

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Liz