When soil temperature reaches forty degrees, when the ground can be worked without clumping, when the dandelion opens its first flower, sow these crops directly:
Peas: sow one ounce per ten feet of row, inoculate with rhizobia bacteria, provide trellis at planting, succession sow every two weeks until May
Radishes: sow thinly, thin to one inch spacing, harvest in twenty five days, succession sow for continuous supply
Spinach: broadcast or row plant, keep moist, harvest outer leaves or whole plant, bolts in heat so plant early
Lettuce: direct sow for cut and come again, thin to six inches for head varieties, provide afternoon shade as weather warms
Carrots: sow in prepared bed, keep moist until germination, thin to proper spacing, weed carefully
Beets: sow and thin to three inches, harvest greens and roots, succession plant
Turnips: similar to beets, plant for greens and roots
Kale and collards: direct sow for hardier plants than transplants, thin to twelve inches
Potatoes: plant seed potatoes when forsythia blooms, cut into egg sized pieces with eyes, plant four inches deep
Onion sets: press into soil, mulch heavily, weed diligently
When soil temperature reaches fifty degrees, when night air stays above freezing, when your hardened off seedlings show true leaves, transplant:
Broccoli and cauliflower: space eighteen inches apart, water with compost tea, mulch immediately, watch for cabbage worms
Cabbage: same spacing, stake if varieties grow large, interplant with dill for pest confusion
Kale and collards: twelve to eighteen inches, harvest outer leaves first, plants produce for months
Lettuce: six to twelve inches depending on variety, provide shade cloth as heat approaches
Onions and leeks: plant deeply, trim tops to reduce transplant shock, mulch heavily
Celery: rich soil, consistent moisture, hill soil around stems as they grow
Herbs: parsley, cilantro, dill, plant in blocks for continuous harvest
March demands soil work. Till or no till, you must prepare beds, incorporate amendments, shape rows, mulch paths. The farmer works the soil with strength, the poet works the soil with attention, both create tilth.
Bed preparation sequence:
Remove winter mulch: rake aside for compost, expose soil to warming sun
Test soil temperature: use thermometer at four inches depth, wait for appropriate crop temperature
Incorporate amendments: spread compost, lime, minerals based on February test, mix into top four inches
Shape beds: four feet wide for reach from both sides, any length, level surface for even water distribution
Create paths: mulch heavily with wood chips or straw, three feet wide for wheelbarrow access
Install irrigation: lay drip tape before planting, test emitters, connect to timer
Mark rows: use string and stakes for straight planting, label with permanent markers
March brings new life. Kids and lambs arrive, chicks hatch, piglets root. Your attention must be constant, your intervention minimal, your observation sharp.
Kidding and lambing preparation:
Clean pens: disinfect between animals, provide dry bedding, ensure ventilation
Gestation nutrition: increase energy in final month, provide free choice hay, monitor body condition
Kidding supplies: iodine for navels, towels for drying, heat lamp if needed, colostrum if mother fails
Dystocia recognition: learn normal presentation, know when to intervene, have vet contact ready
Post birth care: ensure nursing within first hour, monitor for infection, tag or identify offspring
Poultry hatching:
Incubator preparation: test temperature and humidity, turn eggs manually or automatically, candle at day seven
Brooder setup: heat lamp at ninety five degrees first week, reduce five degrees weekly, provide starter feed and water
Chick care: dip beaks in water to teach drinking, watch for pasty butt, provide grit at two weeks
Piglet farrowing: if breeding your own, prepare farrowing pens, monitor sow behavior, assist if needed, process piglets with iron and teeth clipping
March is pruning month, before bud break, while structure is visible, while cuts heal quickly. Prune with purpose, prune with vision, prune with sharp tools.
Apple and pear trees:
Remove dead wood first: cut to living tissue, seal large wounds
Open center or central leader: choose your form and commit
Thin crowded branches: remove crossing, rubbing, inward growing
Reduce height: head back tall leaders to accessible height
Aim for sunlight penetration: every leaf should see light
Peach and nectarine:
Heavy pruning required: remove sixty percent of previous year's growth
Open vase shape: four to six main scaffolds
Remove water sprouts: vigorous vertical growth drains energy
Cherry and plum:
Light pruning: these bleed heavily if cut too much
Remove dead and diseased: keep cuts minimal
Blueberries:
Remove old canes: cut to ground, keep six to eight strong canes per plant
Thin weak growth: pencil thickness or smaller removed
Shape for picking: keep height manageable
Grapes:
Dramatic pruning: remove ninety percent of previous year's growth
Train to trellis: two to four permanent cordons
Select fruiting canes: pencil thickness, well positioned
If you planted winter rye or hairy vetch in fall, March or early April is termination time, before seed set, while biomass is high, while soil can use the nutrients.
Termination methods:
Mow and tarp: cut at soil level, cover with silage tarp for four weeks, plant into residue
Mow and incorporate: chop finely, till in, wait two weeks before planting
Grazing: rotate animals through, they eat and trample, plant after they leave
Crimping: use roller crimper at flowering, creates mulch layer, plant through