What to Sow and Grow in MARCH
As the days stretch longer and the sunlight lingers a little longer each evening, March brings a welcome sense of optimism to the garden. The dreary days of February are finally behind us, and the air feels lighter, filled with the promise of spring. Blue skies are becoming a more frequent sight, and the soil is slowly warming up, beckoning us to get outside to sow and plant.
At Fat Tomato, we see the first signs of the season's new life—early leaves of wild garlic, broad beans, and garden peas are shooting up, and the first tender rhubarb leaves and sea kale are pushing through the ground. Our peach trees in the polytunnel are starting to blossom, which always brings excitement.
We will spend much more time in the garden this month with longer, brighter days ahead.
Here’s our list for March:
Peas and Broad Beans: March is the perfect time to sow peas and broad beans directly outdoors. If you did not manage to sow some in January or February, do not worry — you can still get them going now for a late spring or early summer harvest. We’ve been planting a variety of broad beans, such as 'Aquadulce,' which is excellent for Irish gardens, as it can handle the colder temperatures. Peas, like 'Irish Green,' ‘Rondo‘ and ‘Golden Sweet’ are also great for cooler conditions and will thrive in March’s unpredictable weather. We have some growing in the polytunnel and are sowing some this month to grow outdoors.
Early Potatoes: March marks the time to get early potatoes in the ground. If you’ve been chitting organic seed potatoes over the past few weeks, it is time to plant them right after St Patrick’s Day. We typically grow ‘Charlotte’ and ‘Orla’ for an early harvest, but you can experiment with different varieties depending on your space. Have a look at Fruit Hill Farm website for organic seed potatoes. In our polytunnel, we tend to plant our early potatoes in big deep pots, covering the seed potatoes with compost as the plants grow. With some luck, we might even be able to harvest some in May.
Herbs: March is an excellent time to start sowing herbs indoors. We’ve begun our parsley, thyme, corainder, chervil and basil in modules inside the polytunnel. These herbs are a staple in our garden and, when started now, will give us a strong crop once the weather warms up. We also recommend beginning some hardy herbs like chives and mint, which can be sown directly outside once the soil has warmed up a little. Herbs are such a rewarding plant to grow, as they don’t take up too much space and can provide fresh flavours all year round.
Chillies and Aubergines: As these plants need a longer growing season to thrive, March is the last month to start your chillies and aubergines indoors. We’ve sown our favourite varieties, like 'Lemon Drop' and ‘Serrano’ for chillies and 'Black Beauty' for aubergines. Both need warmth and light, so a sunny windowsill or a heated propagator is perfect. Make sure to keep the soil moist but not soggy, as the seeds can rot in overly wet conditions. These crops take time to grow, so sowing them early ensures we’ll be enjoying delicious fruits in the late summer. You can start them in seed trays or small pots and transplant them once the weather warms up.
Tomatoes: Now’s the time to start sowing tomato seeds indoors. We sow over 100 varieties of heritage tomatoes in our polytunnel, with a few grown outdoors. We start sowing early-ripening varieties in late February/March using a heated bench and continue sowing into April, ensuring we have a steady supply right up until November/December - fingers crossed the weather’s kinder than last year. Some of our tried-and-true favourites like Brad's Atomic Grape, Blue Betty, San Marzano, Citrina, Purple Prince, Yellow Clementine, Ox Heart and Latah are always at the top of the list. But we’re also excited to experiment with a few new varieties this year — always searching for that perfect tomatoey flavour.
Sweet Peas: March is an ideal month to sow sweet peas indoors for an early, fragrant display in the garden. Sweet peas thrive in cool conditions and prefer to be started indoors to get them off to a good start before being planted in the garden. We sow them in deep pots or modules to give them room for root growth. With their lovely scent and vibrant colours, sweet peas are one of our favourite spring flowers, and starting them early ensures they will bloom as soon as the weather warms up.
Winter Greens: Kale, spinach, and Swiss chard can continue to thrive in the cooler weather of March. These hearty greens will give us fresh, nutritious leaves for soups, salads, and stir-fries. Kale, especially, will continue growing well into spring, and we often find it gets sweeter after a frost. In fact, we harvest our winter greens as needed, but if you have an abundance, they freeze well, too, for future use. If you haven’t already, now is a good time to give them a little feed to encourage new growth and to make sure they’re ready for spring. Don’t forget as the kale starts to sprout and produce flowers, they are delicious to eat.
Root Crops: As the weather begins to warm, it’s time to dig up any remaining root crops, such as parsnips, carrots, and Jerusalem artichokes. These crops have been stored in the soil all winter, and the colder months have enhanced their sweetness. We usually harvest them in March before the soil warms up and they begin to sprout. If you haven’t already used your root crops, now is the time to do so.
Rhubarb: One of the first crops to pop up in the spring, rhubarb is a tremendous early garden indicator. If you’ve forced rhubarb by covering the crowns with pots for an earlier harvest, it is time to uncover them and start harvesting those sweet-tart stalks. We’ve noticed that rhubarb thrives with a little extra care at the start of the season — it’s one of the few crops that does well when forced, producing delicious early stems perfect for pies and crumbles. Rhubarb is a lovely early crop, and with the added sunlight in March, it’ll give you a jumpstart on the harvest season.
Prune Fruit Trees: If you haven’t already pruned your fruit trees, March is the last call before the growing season kicks in. Apple and pear trees can be pruned now, cutting back any dead, damaged, or crossing branches. Be sure to avoid pruning stone fruits like peaches, cherries, and plums until later in the summer, as pruning these early can leave them vulnerable to diseases. We’ve been busy pruning the last of our apple trees here at Fat Tomato, making sure to clear out the centre of the tree to allow better air circulation and sunlight penetration. It’s the perfect time to give your fruit trees a little TLC before the growing season begins.
Prune Fruit Bushes: As the raspberry canes, blackcurrants, and blueberry bushes start to produce buds again as they prepare to grow new leaves, we work through pruning them and removing dead and damaged branches. We also select some old wood (you can identify them by the colour) to allow new branches to grow.
Prepare the Soil: As the soil begins to warm up and the days get longer, it’s the perfect time to prepare your garden beds. Clear any lingering debris from winter and apply a fresh layer of compost or mulch to enrich the soil. We also use this time to turn over the soil and make any necessary adjustments to drainage or plant arrangements. The more you prepare now, the smoother the growing season will be later.
Shop for Heritage Seeds: There is still time to check out organic Irish seed producers like Irish Seed Savers or Brown Envelope Seeds. We love supporting local growers, and their heirloom varieties do wonderfully in Irish gardens. Don’t forget to check out our own online shop, where you’ll find over 40 varieties of chemical-free seeds gathered from our garden every year.
Grab your gardening gloves, and let’s get started.
