Zone 5a monthly plan

March planting calendar for zone 5a

These actions use zone 5a's typical frost dates and each crop's extension-sourced planting window.

Last spring frost: May 3
First fall frost: October 5
Exact actions: 38

Get dates for your exact ZIP

Zone averages cover wide areas. Your nearest NOAA station gives a more local frost window.

Exact March dates

Planting jobs

Your March checklist

Search a crop or narrow the list by garden action. Dates are shifted from zone 5a's typical frost window.

38 matching actions, with 7 shown first

Start indoors

Ageratum
flower
February 22 to March 8
0 sources
Annual Salvia (Scarlet Sage)
flower
March 8 to March 22
0 sources
Bachelors Button
flower
March 8 to March 22
0 sources
Basil
herb
March 8 to March 22
0 sources
Bok Choy
vegetable
March 22 to April 5
0 sources

Show 31 more start indoors

BroccoliFebruary 22 to March 8
CabbageFebruary 22 to March 8
CauliflowerMarch 1 to March 15
CollardsMarch 8
CucamelonMarch 22 to April 5
EggplantMarch 8
FennelMarch 22 to April 5
Forget-me-notFebruary 22 to March 8
German ChamomileMarch 8 to March 22
Globe AmaranthMarch 8 to March 22
Ground CherryMarch 15 to April 5
ImpatiensFebruary 22 to March 22
KaleFebruary 15 to March 1
LettuceMarch 22 to March 29
Luffa GourdMarch 8 to March 22
Malabar SpinachMarch 8 to March 22
MarigoldMarch 22 to April 5
MoonflowerMarch 22 to April 5
NasturtiumMarch 22 to April 5
ParsleyMarch 8 to March 22
PepperMarch 8
PetuniaFebruary 22 to March 8
RhubarbMarch 22
RomanescoMarch 22 to April 5
SpinachMarch 22 to March 29
StockMarch 8 to March 22
Sweet AlyssumMarch 22 to March 29
Sweet MarjoramFebruary 22 to March 8
Swiss ChardMarch 22 to March 29
TomatilloMarch 15 to April 5
TomatoMarch 22 to March 29

Transplant outdoors

Kale
vegetable
March 29 to April 5
0 sources

Direct sow

Kale
vegetable
March 29 to April 5
0 sources

How this checklist is sourced

USDA defines the hardiness zone, NOAA normals provide the typical frost anchors, and each crop's extension source supplies the planting offset. Broad season-only notes are kept on plant profiles because they do not change from one zone page to another.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023 by USDA Agricultural Research Service / Oregon State University PRISM Group. the USDA hardiness-zone band.
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. the median spring and fall freeze dates.

Local conditions vary.