While February often ends with the chill of winter still lingering, the end of March finds the birds chirping and the sun shining to herald in the start of spring. It’s a time of change in nature, and the coming weeks are the perfect opportunity to get started on your vegetable garden, so get planning and get planting!
tomatoes
While tomatoes are a summer fruit, you can start growing them from seed indoors much earlier. Start six to eight weeks before the projected final frost. You just need to transfer them outside once the cold weather
has passed.
potatoes
In Ireland, there’s a tradition of planting potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day. They grow best during cooler weather. Ideally, they should be planted a few weeks before the last frost, so around late February to early March.
bell peppers
Bell peppers prefer warmer weather, but you can grow them indoors from seed, starting now—the recommendation is six to 12 weeks before the final frost. Then transfer them outdoors when the temps are steadily above 55°F at night.
carrots
Carrots should be planted around two to four weeks before the final spring frost. In St. Louis, that most likely means sometime before mid-March. If you want to prolong your harvest, stagger your planting in three-week intervals.
spinach
Spinach prefers cooler weather, so planting earlier can ensure a higher yield—your plants will likely stop producing once the summer heat hits. Spinach can go in the ground as soon as the soil can be easily worked.
Source: National Gardening Association
