- Keep building healthy soil: test your garden soil and/or prep soil with compost and other amendments, as needed.
- Before planting, make sure any plant material or debris from last season has been cleared from your growing beds.
- Overwintering cover crops are best left in place until they start flowering, usually early May. But if you need the space or a warm spell is getting them to flower early, you can terminate them now. Learn how to do this by looking at pp. 15-17 of this four-part series on cover crops.
- Direct sow seed outdoors: peas, beets, lettuce, arugula, spinach, kale, broccoli/raab, chard, radish, turnip, kohlrabi, carrot, potato (consider sprouting or “chitting” potatoes indoors before planting outdoors), dill and cilantro.
- If you haven’t yet done so, plant asparagus and horseradish.
- Harden off seedlings grown indoors, and transplant once they have at least two sets of true leaves: Brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, early cabbage, celery and celeriac, cauliflower, leek, onions, and scallions (seedlings grown through the winter sowing method do not usually need hardening).
- Start from seed indoors or via the winter sowing method various warmer weather vegetables and herbs: tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, okra, corn, basil, lavender, rosemary, fennel, lemon balm, oregano, lovage, sage, sorrel, parsley, and thyme (see February’s post).
- Divide perennial herbs.
- Cover newly planted seeds or transplants with light straw or floating row covers.
- Build or repair raised vegetable beds.
- Put up trellises and structures for peas and other climbing crops.
- Monitor any season extension structures. As the weather warms, make sure you do not “cook” your vegetables, but also remember that our area can see hard freezes in March and even into April.
- Turn your compost pile.
- Perform tasks listed in February’s post that may not have been completed.