Grow
What to Plant This Month
Pick your month and hardiness zone to see exactly what to sow, transplant, and harvest right now.
March, Zone 6
Sow indoors
Tomatoes, Eggplant, Broccoli
Sow outdoors
Peas, Spinach, Lettuce (under cover)
Transplant out
Onion sets, Shallots
Harvest
Rhubarb (forced), Overwintered greens
Why planting dates shift by zone
A planting calendar is really a frost calendar in disguise. Every task — starting seeds indoors, direct sowing, transplanting tender crops, harvesting the last of the season — is timed around your average last spring frost and first fall frost. Gardeners in Zone 4 might not transplant tomatoes until early June, while a Zone 9 gardener could be picking tomatoes by then.
This tool uses your hardiness zone as a proxy for that frost timing: roughly one zone of difference shifts the calendar about two to three weeks. It is a useful planning approximation, not a substitute for tracking your own local frost dates and microclimate.
How to use the results
- Check 'Sow indoors' first — these are seeds that need a head start under lights before it is warm enough outside.
- Check 'Sow outdoors' for anything you can direct-seed into garden soil right now.
- Check 'Transplant out' for seedlings, started earlier, that are ready to move into the ground.
- Check 'Harvest' to see what should be ready to pick or dig this month.
General seasonal rhythm
| Season | Typical focus | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Late winter | Order seed, start onions and slow crops indoors | Damping-off from overwatering seedlings |
| Early spring | Sow cool-season crops outdoors, start tomatoes indoors | Late frosts damaging early transplants |
| Late spring | Transplant tender crops after last frost | Hardening off too fast in strong sun/wind |
| Summer | Succession sow, start fall brassicas indoors | Heat stress and bolting on cool-season crops |
| Fall | Harvest, sow garlic and cover crops | First frost catching unharvested tender crops |
| Winter | Plan, order seed, tend stored crops | Waiting too long to start slow-growing seedlings |
Hardening off before transplanting
Seedlings started indoors need seven to ten days of gradual outdoor exposure before they go into the ground permanently. Start with an hour or two in a shaded, sheltered spot, and increase both sun exposure and time outdoors daily. Skipping this step is the single most common cause of transplant shock and stunted growth in spring.
What is a USDA hardiness zone and why does it matter for planting dates?
Hardiness zones rank average annual minimum winter temperature in 10°F bands. They tell you which perennials and shrubs survive winter in your garden, and — combined with your local frost dates — they help set a realistic window for sowing, transplanting, and harvesting.
My zone allows planting this month, but it's still frosty outside — what gives?
Zone tells you the winter minimum, not this week's forecast. Always cross-check with your local last-frost date before moving tender seedlings outdoors, even if the calendar says it is technically time in your zone.
Can I sow indoors earlier than this list suggests?
You can, but very early starts often produce leggy, root-bound seedlings that check badly when transplanted. It is usually better to start on time under strong light than to start early under weak light.
What if I garden in a warm-winter zone like 9 or 10?
Warm zones flip the calendar for many crops — cool-season vegetables go in during fall and winter, and summer becomes the season to protect crops from heat rather than cold. Use this tool as a general guide and adjust sowing dates a few weeks earlier or later based on your local extension service's calendar.
Last reviewed February 2026