March is the time to plant cool-season vegetables

Day to plant anything that may be vulnerable to a surprise frost. Now the good news, not only can cool-season plants handle lower temperatures, some of these hardy vegetables will taste even better after a light frost.

Let It Grow

By Tammy Thornton

After a flip of the calendar page and a few warm spells thrown in as a teaser, many of us are counting the days until spring. If you’re a gardener, visions of tomato and basil sandwiches are dancing in your head. Well, I have good news and bad news for you. While homegrown tomatoes must remain in our dreams for a while, cool-season vegetables get the green light for planting in March.

Spring officially starts March 20, and most of us can hardly wait. But unfortunately, the weather doesn’t magically offer exclusively warm days without the threat of frost or snow.

According to Farmers Almanac, the average last frost date should be around March 31 in our area, but New Jersey weather seems to enjoy a good April Fool’s joke. Traditionally, it’s safest to wait until Mother’s

Carrots, spinach, peas, onions, parsley, radishes, and chives are among the hardiest herbs and vegetables that you can plant from seed directly in the garden this time of year. You will get your hint from reading the seed packets. Often for these cold-hardy tough guys, you will see a phrase like “plant as soon as the soil can be worked.” As long as the ground has thawed, and isn’t frozen solid, you are good to go with those hardy veggies. A few weeks later, in mid-to-late March, you can plant things like arugula, lettuce, beets, and seed potatoes. Their labels will probably read, “plant a few weeks before last expected frost.” h old off on things like peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, corn, and basil.

Of course, you can start herbs and vegetables indoors, or buy seedlings that have been started for you at a garden nursery. Just be sure the seedlings have been “hardened off” first, since the drastic change from a cozy home or greenhouse to the great outdoors can shock your coddled plants. These cool-season seedlings include broccoli, kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, and cauliflower.

Though the threat of snow can cause a gardener some angst, remember that snow can actually act like a cozy blanket insulating your crops. A light frost can also cause cool-season vegetables to become sweeter as their starches convert to sugars to protect them from the cold. This is especially true of vegetables that have been planted at the other end of the gardening season in late summer or fall. A layer of mulch around your plants will give them some protection, but if a hard freeze is in the forecast (below 28 degrees), a covering would be a good idea until the worst part of the freeze has passed. In a pinch, you can throw an inverted clear plastic bin or blanket over your plants. If using a plastic covering such as a tarp or shower curtain, be sure the plastic is not touching the plant, as this can harm them. During the day and once the threat of hard freeze is over, remove the coverings.

Soon enough spring will be here, and frosty days will be a memory well-forgotten. Beach days and rows of Jersey corn will ensue. Until then, plant your cool-season vegetables for some savory and delicious home-grown meals.

What’s your favorite cool-season vegetable? Shore Local News would love to hear from our readers. Kindly send your comments, pictures, and questions to: shorelocalgardener@ gmail.com.

Tammy Thornton lives in Linwood with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.