Garden Calendar: Spring Planting Tips for March

Experts share the best times to sow seeds, transplant seedlings, and prepare your garden beds this week.

Mar. 29, 2026 at 2:07pm

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As spring arrives in Wisconsin, gardening enthusiasts are gearing up to start planting their vegetable gardens and flower beds. Local horticulture experts are offering guidance on the optimal times this week to sow seeds, transplant seedlings, and prepare garden beds for the growing season ahead.

Why it matters

Knowing the right times to perform key gardening tasks can help ensure a bountiful and healthy harvest later in the year. Following these seasonal tips from local experts can lead to better germination rates, stronger plant growth, and fewer issues with pests or diseases.

The details

According to Dane County Master Gardener volunteer Lori Bross, the ideal time to direct sow cool-weather vegetable seeds like lettuce, spinach, and radishes is this week, as soil temperatures are warming up. She also recommends transplanting seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-weather crops that were started indoors 6-8 weeks ago. Bross advises gardeners to work compost into their beds now to enrich the soil before planting.

  • The optimal time to direct sow cool-weather vegetable seeds is this week as soil temperatures rise.
  • Transplant seedlings of warm-weather crops like tomatoes and peppers that were started indoors 6-8 weeks ago.
  • Work compost into garden beds now to enrich the soil before planting.

The players

Lori Bross

A Dane County Master Gardener volunteer who provides seasonal gardening advice to local residents.

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What they’re saying

“The ideal time to direct sow cool-weather vegetable seeds like lettuce, spinach, and radishes is this week, as soil temperatures are warming up.”

— Lori Bross, Dane County Master Gardener volunteer

“Transplant seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, and other warm-weather crops that were started indoors 6-8 weeks ago.”

— Lori Bross, Dane County Master Gardener volunteer

“Work compost into your beds now to enrich the soil before planting.”

— Lori Bross, Dane County Master Gardener volunteer

The takeaway

Following these seasonal gardening tips from local experts can help ensure a successful and bountiful growing season, with healthier plants and higher yields.