Month by month · Oregon · Washington · Idaho
March in the garden
The real start of the season on the west side and coast. East of the mountains, prepare beds and start seeds indoors.
What to plant in March
How much can go in across the five climate regions. Your region's row is highlighted once you pick a town.
| Region | Plant outside | Start indoors | March 1 – 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coast | 46 plants, from Mar 25 | 10 plants | |
| West-side valleys | 81 plants | 7 plants | |
| East-side valleys | 46 plants, from Mar 20 | 13 plants | |
| Inland Northwest | Nothing | 17 plants | |
| High desert | Nothing | 15 plants |
All 90 plants and their March dates, by region
| Plant | Coast | West-side valleys | East-side valleys | Inland Northwest | High desert |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 17–31 | |
| Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 4–18 | Start indoors Mar 31 – Apr 14 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 19 | — | Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Start indoors Mar 24 – Apr 7 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 19 | — | Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Start indoors Mar 24 – Apr 7 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Start indoors Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Start indoors Mar 6–20 | Start indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 | — | |
| Start indoors Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Start indoors Mar 16–30 | Start indoors Mar 1–15 | Start indoors Mar 21 – Apr 4 | — | |
| — | — | Start indoors Mar 29 – Apr 12 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 13 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 19 | Plant Mar 20 – May 8 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 3 | — | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 17–31 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 17 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 3 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 12 | — | Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Start indoors Mar 24 – Apr 7 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 17–31 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | Start indoors Mar 3–17 | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | Start indoors Feb 25 – Mar 11 | Start indoors Mar 24 – Apr 7 | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 4–18 | Start indoors Mar 31 – Apr 14 | |
| Start indoors Mar 23 – Apr 6 | Start indoors Mar 16–30 | Start indoors Mar 1–15 | Start indoors Mar 21 – Apr 4 | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 17–31 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 3 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 13 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 19 | Plant Mar 20 – May 8 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 3 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 | Start indoors Mar 20 – Apr 3 | Start indoors Mar 6–20 | Start indoors Mar 25 – Apr 8 | — | |
| Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 4–18 | Start indoors Mar 31 – Apr 14 | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | — | |
| Start indoors Mar 11–25 | Start indoors Mar 6–20 | Start indoors Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Start indoors Mar 11–25 | Start indoors Mar 31 – Apr 14 | |
| — | Start indoors Mar 27 – Apr 10 | Start indoors Mar 13–27 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – Apr 29 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 5 | Plant Mar 20 – Apr 24 | — | — | |
| Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 19 | Start indoors Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Start indoors Mar 4–18 | Start indoors Mar 31 – Apr 14 | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 6 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 12 | Plant Mar 20 – May 1 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 10 | — | — | — | |
| — | Start indoors Mar 29 – Apr 12 | Start indoors Mar 22 – Apr 5 | — | — | |
| — | — | Start indoors Mar 20 – Apr 3 | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – May 3 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 19 | — | — | — | |
| — | Plant Mar 15 – Apr 26 | — | — | Start indoors Mar 3–17 | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — | |
| Plant Mar 25 – May 20 | Plant Mar 1 – Apr 26 | Plant Mar 20 – May 15 | — | — |
Dates are for one typical town in each region: Astoria, Portland, Pendleton, Spokane and Bend and Redmond. Plant now shows your own town's dates.
March jobs
Plant and sow
- Sow peas, radishes, spinach and arugula once the soil can be worked. West-side valleys
- Plant onion sets, potatoes (late in the month) and asparagus crowns. West-side valleys
- Sow peas and fava beans as soon as the soil dries out. Coast
Start indoors
- Start tomatoes, peppers and eggplant six to eight weeks before your warm-crop planting date.
- Start broccoli, cabbage and kale indoors. East-side valleys
- Start onions and leeks indoors. High desert and Inland Northwest
Harvest
- Pick overwintered kale before it flowers; the flower buds are good to eat too. West-side valleys
- Cut the first rhubarb stalks late in the month. West-side valleys
Garden care
- Spread an inch or two of compost on beds ahead of planting.
- Buy a soil thermometer. It tells you when crops can go in better than the calendar.
- Test soil pH if you haven't for a few years.
- Harden off cool-crop seedlings for a week before planting them out.
Pests and problems
Fruit, berries and flowers
- Plant strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. West-side valleys
- Feed blueberries with an acid fertilizer as buds swell.
- Divide crowded perennials and chives.
Read next
Why Northwest Gardeners Should Plant by Soil TemperatureThe air warms up long before the soil does here. A $10 soil thermometer tells you when it's really time to plant beans, squash and tomatoes.
How to Control Slugs in a Northwest GardenPractical, pet-safe ways to protect seedlings, lettuce and strawberries from the Pacific Northwest's most famous garden pest.
How to Harden Off Seedlings Before Planting OutSeedlings raised indoors need a week or two to adjust to sun, wind and cool nights. Here's a simple day-by-day schedule that works in a Northwest spring.
Growing Peas in Oregon, Washington and IdahoPeas love a cool Northwest spring. Here's when to sow them where you live, which kind to grow, and how to keep them producing until summer heat arrives.