March is the month that separates Florida gardeners who plan ahead from those who scramble. It is the hinge between our cool season and warm season, and the decisions you make this month determine whether you eat well through June or stare at empty beds wondering where the time went. At Wholly Water Farms, we treat March like a relay handoff — one set of crops finishing, the next already in motion.

The UF/IFAS Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide (SP 103) identifies March as a primary planting month for warm-season crops across all three Florida planting zones. But it is also the last realistic window for several cool-season favorites. Managing both sides of that transition is what this guide is about.

What Cool-Season Crops Can You Still Plant in Florida in March?

March is your final chance for lettuce, radishes, and carrots before the heat shuts them down. Leaf lettuce varieties planted in early March can still produce a harvest before bolting becomes inevitable in April. Radishes are your safest bet — Cherry Belle and French Breakfast types mature in 25 to 30 days, so a March 1 planting gives you radishes by early April. Carrots planted now will push into late April and May harvests, but choose fast-maturing Nantes types (60 to 65 days) rather than longer-season varieties.

Cilantro is finishing. If you have plants from a fall or January planting, they are bolting or about to bolt. Let a few go to seed for coriander, pull the rest, and give that space to basil, which is just getting started. This herb pivot — cilantro out, basil in — is one of the most reliable markers of the March transition.

For a deeper look at what worked in our cool-season beds, refer back to our November planting guide where many of these crops got their start.

When Should You Transplant Warm-Season Vegetables in Florida?

Warm-season crops need soil temperatures of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above for reliable germination and root establishment. In Central Florida, soil temperatures typically cross that threshold in mid to late March. South Florida hits it earlier, sometimes by late February. North Florida gardeners should wait until late March or early April, and monitor with a soil thermometer rather than guessing.

Here is what goes in the ground this month:

Tomatoes: Transplant determinate and indeterminate varieties by mid-March in Central Florida. Heat-tolerant cultivars like Solar Fire, Florida 91, and BHN 602 handle our summers better than northern favorites. Get them in early — tomatoes need to set fruit before nighttime temperatures stay above 75 degrees, which stalls pollination.
Peppers: Sweet peppers (bell, banana, cubanelle) and hot peppers (jalapeno, serrano, habanero) all transplant well in March. They handle heat better than tomatoes and will produce through fall if you keep them watered and fed.
Squash and cucumbers: Direct seed or transplant after soil reaches 65 degrees. Yellow squash and zucchini produce fast — 45 to 55 days from seed. Cucumbers are similarly quick. Both are vine borers' favorite targets, so plan for succession plantings every three weeks.
Eggplant: Another heat lover that does well transplanted in March. Florida Market and Black Beauty are proven performers. Eggplant is slower than squash — 70 to 85 days to harvest — but produces over a long season.

March Planting Table by Florida Zone

Crop	North FL (8b/9a)	Central FL (9b/10a)	South FL (10b/11a)	Method	Days to Harvest
Tomatoes	Late Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Transplant	65–85
Peppers	Late Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Transplant	60–90
Squash/Zucchini	Late Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Seed or transplant	45–55
Cucumbers	Late Mar–Apr	Mar–Apr	Feb–Mar	Seed or transplant	50–65
Eggplant	Late Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Transplant	70–85
Basil	Apr	Mar–Apr	Mar	Transplant or seed	30–60
Lettuce (last chance)	Feb–early Mar	Mar 1–15	Feb	Seed	30–60
Radishes (last chance)	Feb–Mar	Mar 1–15	Feb	Seed	25–30
Carrots (last chance)	Feb–Mar	Mar 1–15	Feb	Seed	60–80
Sweet corn	Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Seed	70–90
Beans (snap/lima)	Mar–Apr	Mar	Feb–Mar	Seed	50–65

How Do You Monitor Soil Temperature for Planting?

Soil temperature is the single most reliable indicator for warm-season planting, and it is easy to measure. Insert a standard soil thermometer 3 to 4 inches deep in your planting bed at 8 a.m. for three consecutive mornings. The morning reading matters more than the afternoon one because you want to know the baseline — not the peak after the sun has been hitting bare soil for hours. When the average of those three readings holds at 65 degrees or above, your warm-season crops are cleared for planting.

In my experience in the Tampa Bay area, we consistently hit that mark by the second or third week of March. Some years earlier, some later. A warm February can push soil temps up fast, while a late cold front can knock them back down overnight. Do not trust the calendar alone.

What About Florida Strawberries in March?

The Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City runs from late February through early March, and it marks both the celebration and the beginning of the end for strawberry season. Florida produces about 10,000 acres of strawberries annually, nearly all of it in the Hillsborough County corridor, and the peak harvest runs from December through March. By late March, berry quality drops as temperatures climb. The fruit gets softer, smaller, and more prone to disease.

If you have strawberry plants in your garden, keep harvesting through March but do not expect the berries you were getting in January. Once daytime highs consistently reach the mid-80s, the plants are essentially done for the season. Some gardeners in South Florida can maintain them through April with shade cloth, but for most of us, March is the final month of meaningful production.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is March too late to plant tomatoes in Florida?

No, March is actually the ideal transplant month for tomatoes in Central Florida. Get them in by mid-March so they can set fruit before nighttime temperatures stay above 75 degrees, which disrupts pollination. Choose heat-tolerant varieties like Solar Fire or Florida 91 bred specifically for our conditions.

What soil temperature do warm-season vegetables need in Florida?

Most warm-season crops need soil temperatures of 65 degrees Fahrenheit or higher at a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Measure in the morning for three consecutive days to get an accurate reading. In Central Florida, soil typically reaches this threshold by mid to late March.

Can you still grow lettuce in Florida in March?

Early March is the last realistic window for leaf lettuce in Central and North Florida. Fast-maturing varieties planted by March 10 can produce a harvest before bolting in April. South Florida gardeners lose their lettuce window even earlier, usually by late February. Once daytime highs regularly exceed 80 degrees, lettuce quality declines sharply.

When does Florida strawberry season end?

Florida strawberry season peaks from December through March, with commercial harvest winding down by late March as rising temperatures reduce berry quality. The annual Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City, held in late February and early March, coincides with the final weeks of peak production. Home gardeners may extend harvest into early April with shade cloth.