5 Vegetables To Plant In March For An Early Summer Harvest

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1Lettuce lettuce Aitor Diago//Getty Images

March is the perfect time to sow lettuce under a cloche as “cooler conditions produce tender leaves without bolting in the heat,” says Morris. Sow thinly and cover only lightly with soil. Baby leaves will be ready to harvest in just three weeks, while full lettuce heads will be ready in six to eight weeks.

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2Potatoes potatoes carefully dug up by hand in an organic field for harvest. Susumu Yoshioka//Getty Images

A British kitchen staple, potatoes can also be sown now, however, they must be chitted, which means letting the seeds germinate inside before planting them outdoors.

Toby Buckland, a presenter on Gardeners’ World, recommends planting tubers 10 to 15cm deep and 30cm apart, as well as earthing up soil around them as they grow to prevent them going green. Harvest in 10 to 12 weeks.

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3Rocket rocket Westend61//Getty Images

“A must sow and grow for me is rocket for its vitality packed and peppery leaves,” Toby says. “It loves the cool, damp start to the year. If you wait until the sweltering heat of summer, the plant panics, thinks its time is up and ‘bolts’ – it runs to seed.”

Sow seeds in a small row every two weeks to maintain a steady supply and keep them well-watered. Rocket is “lightning fast”, giving you baby leaves in just three to four weeks.

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4Beetroot organic beetroot still in soil, being harvested by a man holding a pitchfork. Martin Harvey//Getty Images

Beetroot is a hardy vegetables, making it an ideal choice to plant in the still-fickle early-spring weather. “Beetroot is fairly straightforward to grow and combined with its relatively short growing period is a nice crop to start out with,” says Lucie Bradley from Easy Garden Irrigation.

Soak the seeds in warm water for 30 to 60 minutes to speed up the germination process before sowing them outdoors. The roots will be ready to harvest in just five to seven weeks.

Interested? Read our full guide on how to grow beetroot.

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5Spring onions bunches of fresh green onions with roots Sutthiwat Srikhrueadam//Getty Images

As their name suggests, spring onions are another great vegetable to plant at this time of year – in contrast to onions, which require a long growing period, they’re ready in just a few weeks.

There’s many varieties to choose from, says Lucy, but the fastest-growing one is Apache, which can be harvested after just six weeks. “These have a deep purple bulb, dark green leaves, a mild flavour and gorgeous crisp texture,” she adds. Perfect for an early summer salad.

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Wanda Sachs is the Daily Writer for House Beautiful and Country Living, exploring the latest in interior design, home trends, property news, wellbeing and sustainable living. With a keen eye for style and a passion for storytelling, she previously served as an Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she launched and led the magazine’s monthly style vertical, covering emerging fashion trends. Wanda holds a combined BA in English and German from Goethe University Frankfurt.

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