2. Start Sowing Seeds Indoors

Get a head start on the growing season by sowing seeds of slower-growing vegetables and flowers indoors this month.

Many varieties, especially those that need a long growing season or protection from late frosts, thrive when started indoors on a sunny windowsill, in a heated propagator, or in a greenhouse.

3. Prepare Vegetable Patches and Plant Early Crops

Your vegetable garden requires immediate attention in March to prepare for summer crops.

• Digging and Raking: If your soil is dry enough, lightly dig or fork over vegetable beds that were left fallow over winter. Break up large clumps and rake the surface to a fine, level tilth.
• Planting Seed Potatoes: Towards the end of the month, you can plant 'early' seed potatoes. This should be a scheduled activity you can add to your calendar: Calendar event. First, 'chit' them (allow them to sprout) in a cool, bright spot for a few weeks before planting.
• Direct Sowing: Certain hardy crops can be sown directly into the ground now, as long as the soil isn't waterlogged or frozen. These include:
• Broad beans
• Spinach
• Carrots and parsnips (in well-prepared soil)
• Hardy lettuces

Remember that March weather can be unpredictable. Be ready to protect any early outdoor sowings with fleece or cloches if a hard frost is forecast.