March · USDA Zone 10
springWhat to plant in March in USDA zone 10
Spring planting guide for zone 10 (South Florida, Coastal Southern California, Hawaii (parts)) — a 365-day growing season with last frost around frost rare or never and first frost around frost rare or never.
Sow outdoors in March — zone 10
Direct-sow these seeds into prepared garden beds or large containers. Soil temperature matters more than the calendar date — wait for a sustained warm-up before sowing tender crops.
- Heat-tolerant tomatoes, peppers, okra, sweet potatoes
- Eggplant, southern peas, melons
Harvest in March — zone 10
These crops should be ready or in active harvest in March for zone 10 gardens. Pick fruiting crops every 2-3 days to keep production going.
- Spring vegetables, citrus, tropical fruit
Maintenance in March — zone 10
- Irrigation check — Pressure-test drip lines before peak heat.
Universal March tasks
These apply across most US and UK gardens in March, regardless of zone.
- Start tomato, pepper, and eggplant seeds indoors (if not already).
- Direct-sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes once soil is workable.
- Transplant onions and leeks outdoors in zones 5-9.
- Plant bare-root fruit trees, berries, and asparagus crowns.
- Prune roses just before they break dormancy.
- Top-dress beds with compost and start hardening off transplants.
Why this works for zone 10
Zone 10 has average annual minimum temperatures of 30 to 40°F (-1 to 4°C) and a frost-free window from frost rare or never to frost rare or never — about 365 growing days. Summer can be too hot for many tomato varieties. Winter is the prime growing season for cool-loving crops.
Dates are zone-wide averages. Local microclimates (south-facing slopes, urban heat, lakeside warmth, elevation) can shift the window by 1-2 weeks within the same zone.
UK gardeners — March
March opens outdoor sowing for most of the UK. Direct-sow peas, broad beans, spinach, radishes, and early carrots under cloches. Indoor: tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers. Plant first early potatoes mid-month.
Source and methodology
Frost-date averages from NOAA Climate Data Online within USDA zone 10. Hardiness boundaries from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map (2023). Crop timing curated against US Cooperative Extension Service publications (UNL, UMN, NC State, Texas A&M, UF/IFAS, Oregon State) and cross-referenced against the RHS sowing calendar. Curated by the Growli editorial team.
Keep going
- ← February in zone 10
- April in zone 10 →
- All zones — what to plant in March
- USDA Zone 10 — frost dates and crop list
- Full 12-month planting calendar