March in Florida is a bit like standing at a crossroads. Behind you: the last reliable weeks for lettuce, kale, and broccoli. Ahead: tomato transplants, peppers, squash, and everything that actually makes summer gardening worth the sweat. I have been farming in Central Florida long enough to know that the growers who plan around this transition month are the ones pulling harvests well into June.

This guide draws on UF/IFAS publication VH021, our own planting records here at Wholly Water Farms, and hard lessons from the occasional late-March cold snap that nobody saw coming.

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

You have roughly two to three more weeks for direct-seeding cool-season vegetables before rising temperatures trigger bolting. Lettuce, spinach, radishes, and carrots planted in the first week of March still have a decent shot at harvest before daytime highs consistently break 85°F. After mid-March, these crops struggle. If you want one final lettuce succession, sow a heat-tolerant variety like Jericho or Muir — they will buy you an extra week or two before going bitter.

Broccoli and cauliflower transplants set out now should be well-established plants, not seedlings. They need to reach harvest size before April heat shuts down head formation. Kale is more forgiving and can handle the transition better than most brassicas.

When Should You Start Warm-Season Crops in Central Florida?

Mid-March is your green light for warm-season transplants in Central Florida, where the average last frost date falls between February 14 and March 1 depending on your specific location. By March 15, the probability of a 36°F night drops below 10 percent in the Orlando-to-Tampa corridor, according to NOAA climate data. That does not mean zero risk — I have seen frost as late as March 22 in Gainesville — but it means you can plant with reasonable confidence if you keep row cover handy.

Here is what goes in the ground now:

Tomatoes (transplants only): Set out sturdy transplants with 6-8 true leaves. In Central Florida, determinate varieties like Roma and Celebrity perform reliably. Indeterminate types like Cherokee Purple and Sun Gold give you a longer harvest window but need solid trellising. Plant them deep — bury the stem up to the first set of true leaves — and water consistently for the first two weeks.

Peppers: Bell, jalapeño, banana, and habanero transplants all go in now. Peppers actually appreciate our warm nights more than tomatoes do. Give them full sun and well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 6.8.

Beans: Direct-seed bush beans (Provider, Contender) and pole beans (Kentucky Wonder) after mid-March. Beans fix their own nitrogen, so go easy on fertilizer — too much nitrogen gives you beautiful foliage and almost no pods.

Squash and cucumbers: Direct-seed or transplant summer squash (yellow crookneck, zucchini) and cucumbers after March 15. These crops grow fast in Florida warmth. Expect first harvest in 45-55 days.

Herbs: Basil is the star of March herb planting. It will not tolerate cold soil, so wait until soil temps hit 70°F at a 4-inch depth. Genovese and Thai basil both thrive here. Dill and cilantro are still viable early in the month but will bolt quickly once it warms up.

What Does a March Planting Schedule Look Like?

Here is the planting table I use at our farm, adapted for home growers in USDA zones 9a-9b:

Crop	Type	Plant Window	Days to Harvest	Notes
Lettuce	Direct seed	March 1-10	30-45	Last succession; use heat-tolerant varieties
Radish	Direct seed	March 1-15	25-30	Fast crop; harvest before April heat
Carrots	Direct seed	March 1-10	70-80	Final planting; Nantes types do well
Tomatoes	Transplant	March 10-31	70-90	Bury deep; mulch heavily
Peppers	Transplant	March 10-31	65-85	Full sun; avoid overwatering
Bush beans	Direct seed	March 15-31	50-60	Low nitrogen; inoculate seeds
Squash	Direct seed	March 15-31	45-55	Watch for vine borers early
Cucumbers	Direct seed	March 15-31	50-65	Trellis for better airflow
Basil	Transplant/seed	March 15-31	30-45	Soil temp must be 70°F+
Sunflower microgreens	Indoor tray	Year-round	9-12	Not weather-dependent

How Do You Protect March Transplants from a Late Frost?

Keep lightweight row cover (Agribon AG-19 or similar) on hand through the end of March. It provides 4-6°F of frost protection without trapping excessive heat during warm days. Drape it over wire hoops so it does not rest directly on foliage — contact points become damage points when frost hits. Water your beds thoroughly the afternoon before a predicted cold night; moist soil radiates more heat than dry soil overnight.

For container growers, simply move pots against a south-facing wall or into a garage overnight. That radiant heat from the wall can make a 3-4 degree difference.

What About Microgreens and Indoor Growing?

One advantage of growing microgreens is that none of this seasonal timing matters. At our farm, we harvest sunflower, radish, and pea shoot microgreens 52 weeks a year in climate-controlled conditions. If you are new to indoor growing, March is actually a great time to start — you can practice with fast-growing varieties while your outdoor garden gets established. Check out our guide to the best beginner microgreens for where to start.

March demands attention. Skip a week and you will miss your last lettuce window. Wait too long on tomato transplants and you will be fighting blossom-end rot in the June heat. But plant smart right now, and you will be eating from your garden from April through the end of summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it too late to plant tomatoes in Florida in March?

No — March is actually the ideal month for setting out tomato transplants in Central and South Florida. You want well-established transplants, not seeds, and mid-March through the end of the month gives plants enough time to flower and set fruit before peak summer heat slows production.

What vegetables grow best in Florida in March?

Tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, cucumbers, and basil are the top warm-season picks. You can also squeeze in a final planting of lettuce, radish, and carrots in the first two weeks if you use heat-tolerant varieties.

When is the last frost date in Central Florida?

The average last frost date ranges from mid-February to early March in the Orlando-Tampa corridor. By March 15, freeze risk drops below 10 percent. However, locations north of Gainesville may see frost as late as late March, so monitor forecasts and keep row cover available.

Can I plant basil in March in Florida?

Yes, but wait until after mid-March when soil temperatures reach at least 70°F at a 4-inch depth. Basil is cold-sensitive and will stall or die in cool soil. Genovese, Thai, and lemon basil all perform well once established.