March in My Garden: Slow Growth, Early Harvests & Preparing for Spring (Zone 7 – Maryland)

March is one of those quiet but important months in the garden. It may not look like much is happening on the surface—but behind the scenes, everything is starting to shift.

Here in Zone 7 (Maryland), March is a mix of cold mornings, slightly warmer afternoons, and a whole lot of watching the weather. It’s the month where patience is tested… but also where the foundation for the entire growing season is built.

Here’s what March looked like in my garden—what I harvested, the challenges I faced, and how I’m preparing for the busy season ahead.

🥬 Early Harvests (The Reward of Preparation)

March harvests are never huge for me—but they are meaningful.

Early Up Potted Greens

One of the biggest wins for me this month has been harvesting from crops I started earlier in larger pots, ahead of the rest of my seedlings.

I intentionally planted fast-growing crops like bok choy, spinach, and lettuce because I’ve really been missing fresh harvests—and honestly, I was getting tired of buying them from the store. The quality just isn’t the same.

Starting them early paid off. I was able to harvest bok choy, spinach, and lettuce sooner than expected. After that first harvest, I even transplanted some of them into my raised beds to continue growing—except for the spinach, which I harvested fully because they’re starting to bolt already.

Last fall, I planted pretty late, and because of the lack of sunlight during winter, most of my crops didn’t produce well. So being able to grow leafy greens indoors this time and enjoy an early harvest meant a lot to me.

And on top of that, my calamansi has been incredibly prolific this month. I harvested a good amount indoors, and even though the plants are starting to take up more space now that they’ve grown bigger… it’s absolutely worth it.

🌱 What I Was Working On in March

March is less about harvesting—and more about preparing and transplanting cool season plants.

Preparations for Transplant

Garden preparation for me really starts in the fall. That’s when I usually amend and top off my raised beds and set up my frost covers so I can protect my plants. Even though I knew my late plantings weren’t likely to produce much because of the timing, I still went through the process—and I’m so glad I did.

The beauty of that preparation is that everything is already in place. Having my raised beds set up with frost covers made it so much easier to transition into spring and start transplanting new crops.

Having the frost cover from Vego Garden has truly been a game changer for me—especially since I no longer have a greenhouse.

Newly transplanted raised bed with Vego Frost cover.

Protecting plants from frost would have been so much more challenging without it, but this setup makes everything a lot easier and more manageable.

What I love even more is how useful it’s been for hardening off seedlings. Instead of bringing trays in and out of the house every day, I can keep them protected outside for a few days as they adjust before planting.

It’s such a simple shift, but it saves time, energy, and makes the whole process feel a lot less overwhelming.

Transplanting Seedlings

After hardening off my seedlings for a couple of days, I began planting my cool-season vegetables—cauliflower, broccoli, spinach, kale, collards, bok choy, lettuce, and cilantro. It took me a few days to get everything planted.

In the past, I would’ve felt frustrated not being able to do it all in one day. But this year, I’ve learned to slow down and let go of that expectation. Taking my time made such a difference—not just in the process, but in my overall mood. I felt lighter, more present, and honestly… happier.

There were also a few pots I didn’t get a chance to amend before winter, but I was able to take care of that this month. That alone feels like a win—and I know my future plants will benefit from it.

Ginger & Turmeric Progress

I also had my ginger and turmeric growing indoors. These are some of my favorite crops to grow because they’re so rewarding—but they definitely require patience.

Sometimes they take their time, and I’ve learned to just let them do their thing.

Soil Prep & Bed Refreshing

March is also when I start thinking about my soil again.

Healthy soil is everything in the garden, so I focus on:

Adding compost
Topping off beds
Using leaf mulch to protect and feed the soil

Even if the garden doesn’t look “full” yet, this work is what makes everything else possible later.

Blueberry and Garlic Update

I get so excited every time I see new buds forming on my blueberries. Watching them slowly come out of dormancy makes the arrival of spring feel even more real.

I felt the same way when I noticed my garlic finally starting to pop up and thicken. They stayed dormant for most of the winter, so seeing that new growth now is incredibly rewarding.

Little by little, the garden is waking up—and it’s such a beautiful thing to witness.

⚠️ Challenges in March

March definitely comes with its challenges.

Cold & Unpredictable Weather

Temperatures can swing a lot this time of year.

Cold nights
Occasional frost
Wet conditions

Because of that, I’m still relying on covers and protection systems to keep my plants safe.

Slow Growth (Patience Required)

It’s easy to feel like nothing is happening in March.

Plants grow slower and everything feels delayed—but this is completely normal.

This is where patience really matters.

Timing Decisions

One thing I adjusted this year:
➡️ I still haven’t started my tomatoes yet because life happens, and I’ve learned to adapt. Plus, I still had tomatoes stored from last season, so I didn’t feel the pressure to rush.