The Marigold Potager – A Zone 3 Prairie Garden

The month of March is much busier in the potting shed. Lots of things that can be started… or, if like me, you prefer to direct sow, you may just be sowing a little bit indoors.

Or, maybe you prefer to buy most of your seedlings. That is absolutely fine, too! There are no rules to how much one should start themselves. You can start nothing yourself and still harvest your own homegrown veggies.

Here are ideas for what you can start from seed this month…

Flowers

Bulbs/Tubers/Corms – Shops are now carrying tubers, corms, bulbs of all sorts. Get yours early so that you get them while they are still happy in their plastic bag homes, and while the selection is good.

Start soaking glads in a saucer of water at the end of this month, for earlier blooms this summer.

Dahlias – It is also time to wake up your dahlias from storage. Go through them and toss anything that is soft, mushy (rotten) or dry and desiccated. Also look for signs of gall – if any of the sprouting eyes look ruffled, like cauliflower, toss them.

When planting the tubers in pots for a headstart on the season…

1. Fill the pot 1/2 full with good potting soil (I add a bit of worm castings, but you can add fertiliser, compost, manure)
2. Place the tuber in the pot and cover with more amended potting soil.
3. Water the newly potted up tuber, wetting all the soil.
4. Do not water again until you see sprouts coming up.
5. I like to water with a bit of kelp or seaweed water about once a week.

Flowers you can start from seed now….

• Alyssum
• Calendula
• Cosmos
• Delphiniums (perennial)
• Dianthus (perennial)
• Digitalis (Foxgloves) (biennnial)
• Echinacea (coneflowers)
• Gaillardia (perennial)
• Marigolds
• Pansies
• Rudbeckia
• Snapdragons
• Stocks
• Sweet Peas
• Verbena
• Violas

Herbs

Herbs that you can start from seeds or cuttings now….

• Agastache/Hyssop
• Dill
• Lavender
• Lemon Balm
• Lovage
• Parsley
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme

To start luffas from seed… place in a wet paper towel, put into a baggie. Once the seeds have softened up a bit (a few days to a week), nick the tip of the seed with nail clippers. Just take off the little pointy tip of the seed with the clippers, do not cut into the meaty bit of the seed (the fat center part).

Vegetables

Many prefer not to start anything until March rolls around. Anything that others may have sown in January or February can be sown now and still be perfect and absolutely amazing. In fact, most of them can be started next month, and also still be amazing. Crazy, but true!

• Artichokes
• Celery
• Eggplants
• Leeks
• Luffas
• Peppers – especially the hot ones!
• Onions
• Tomatoes (yes, finally!)
• Shallots
• Strawberries

Cool Season Crops

1. Can be direct sown if you have a covered bed inside a hoophouse, unheated greenhouse, or beds with row covers.
2. Can be started indoors now and planted out into a covered bed in 4 to 6 weeks.
3. If no covered beds, start at the end of the month to plant out in 4 to 6 weeks (end April, early May). They like cool weather, can tolerate light frosts just fine.

• Bok choi and other Asian greens
• Broccoli
• Brussels sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Kale
• Swiss Chard

Happy Sowing & Growing ~ Tanja