You can plant these cool-season flowers and veggies in your garden in March!
We visit Smile Farms in Center Moriches to show you how your favorite cool-season annuals grow under greenhouses until they're ready to hit the shelves at local nurseries!
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We're still more than 6 weeks away from the average last freeze of the season (Late April - Mid May), but March is a great time to start cool-season vegetables from seed. These crops thrive in chilly spring weather and can handle the ups and downs of early-season temperatures, including light freezes.
Cool-season veggies prefer cool temps (40-70°F) and tolerate brief freezes without damage. This lets you get a head start on fresh garden produce.
Note: I do not recommend planting cool-season veggies in the ground until the end of March this year because the forecast calls for a cooler-than-average middle of the month. I am planting my veggies in containers that I can bring outside on mild days with highs above 50F and low temperatures above 30F.
In this Garden Guide, I visit Smile Farms, a local non-profit that helps adults with developmental disabilities find work in the agricultural industry. You can read more about Smile Farms here
My favorite Cool Season Veggies?
Many cool-season crops are frost-hardy and bounce back from light to moderate freezes (down to about 25-28°F). The hardiest include:
Kale, spinach, collards
These often survive hard frosts (even low 20s°F) and get sweeter after cold snaps which make them ideal for late-summer plantings
Peas
Very cool tolerant and the large seeds are very easy to sow!
Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other brassicas
Strong against frost
Swiss chard, lettuce, arugula, and radishes, and beets
Tolerate light frosts; protect if temperatures drop below 27F.
Starting Veggies from Seed in March
I recommend starting cool season plants from seed because they mature relatively quckly, especially leafy greens which you can pick anytime you like!
Option 1: Start Seeds Outside (Let Mother Nature Wake Them Up)
Direct sow hardy seeds right in the garden when soil is workable (not frozen or too wet from snowmelt). Many cool-season crops germinate in cold soil (as low as 40°F). Make sure to work with loosened soil and don't sow the seeds more than twice as deep as the width of the seed.
This method is simple and the plants will sprout when conditions are favorable for growth. The downside is your plant may not mature as quickly.
Option 2: Start Seeds Indoors (Then Move Outside)
Start tender or slower-growing crops inside for an earlier harvest. This works great for cool season plants like broccoli, Kale, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower since they take longer to mature than leafy greens
On warm days (high temperatures above 40-50°F), take seedlings outside to "harden off". Place them in a sheltered spot for a few hours, gradually increasing time over 7-10 days. Bring indoors at night if temperatures drop below 30F.
