March Planting in Boise, Idaho

I don’t know about you, but I feel like it’s spring in Boise when the wind starts picking up. The sunshine feels deceptive when you step outside and the wind whips around. Don’t be fooled, though, spring is on its way and there’s plenty you can do in the garden, especially when you have raised beds in Boise.

Peas

The first thing I plant in March is my spring peas. I prefer snap peas to shelling peas because they’re easy to eat fresh in the garden, but I shelling peas and snow peas are both sweeter and snappier when you grow them yourself. Sweet peas are another beautiful addition to spring gardens with their fragrant flowers. If you have trellises like our gardens do, interplant rows of peas and sweet peas for flowers and pods.

When it’s time to cut down the peas (at the soil level, never by pulling the roots), the nitrogen they fix will be perfect for the tomatoes that have established nearby. If you’re curious about our intensive planting method, schedule a spring coaching session with us and we can help you unlock even more planting possibilities.

Root Veggies

When the soil is workable (meaning you can move it around with your fingertips), you can start planting radishes, carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, anything that’s considered a root vegetable. Personally, I love planting radishes and carrots in my beds for spring snacking. From French breakfast radishes to Easter egg radishes, there are an endless variety of fun ones to grow at home.

Remember, after you plant seeds, you need to keep the soil wet to germinate them, so if we have no rain in the forecast or there’s a lot of wind, keep a watering can nearby to keep the seeds wet. Also, after the seeds of root vegetables sprout, they need to be thinned to 1” or 2” apart depending on the variety planted. Consider that “thinning” your first harvest of spicy or sweet microgreens!

Sweet Alyssum

Maybe you’re itching for something fragrant and ornamental but you want to keep your raised beds in Boise productive. I highly recommend planting sweet alyssum this time of year. It’s a tiny flower annual that you’ll find at most nurseries in pink, white and purple colors. It’s exceptionally fragrant, beautiful and when planted as a border to your raised beds, will bring endless joy.

As the spring rains come through, sweet alyssum will keep spreading and there’s no need to deadhead it.I love to plant it in my pots with other hardy herbs like thyme, oregano and rosemary. This is an easy, edible container arrangement that will keep producing all summer long.

There you have it, a few fun things to plant in March in raised beds in Boise, Idaho. You may be hearing people say not to plant anything until the snow is off of Shafer Butte, but that’s only true for “frost sensitive” plants. There’s a whole host of things you can plant right now, especially if you have raised beds, as the soil warms in them quicker than in the ground.

If you’re interested in working with us to create a new garden or make your garden more productive/beautiful/low-maintenance this year, we still have ample spots for coaching and a couple of installations. Click the button below to get started.