What Can We Plant in March?

Advice from local Master Gardner J.T. Foley - owner of Snow Creek Nursery in Penhook.

• Cole crops including broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts - Planting these in early to mid-March if the weather is mild will allow you to harvest before the heat of summer sets in. Check the days-to-harvest on the cool weather plants that you buy to make sure they will ripen by early June.

• Spring Pansies and Violas - If you missed fall planting for pansies and violas and want some quick color for Easter, pop some into your containers for an instant display! They should hold up through the month of May as long as you can keep them watered.

• Any flowering trees and shrubs - as long as you are able to work the soil (and again, keep them watered). The earlier you get these planted in your spring landscape the better. This year the industry is facing a supply shortage so if you see something you want at your favorite retailer, you'd better grab it quick! I hear it may be a while before a second shipment comes in - if at all.

• Many early flowering perennials and groundcovers can be planted in March. These include favorites such as Candytuft, Creeping Phlox, and May Night Salvia, all of which can root in quickly during the mild days and soft rains of spring.