March Garden To-Do List for Southern New Hampshire (Zone 6a)
March in New Hampshire is a weird month for gardening.
One day it’s 50 degrees and sunny, and you’re convinced spring is here…
The next day, the garden is frozen again.
It’s also the time when a lot of people start getting the urge to do something in the garden.
But before we rush out and start planting everything in sight, this is actually the time to focus on the soil first.
Last year, I shared a full post about starting seeds indoors for Zone 5b/6a. If you’re doing that this season, that guide is still a good place to start.
This year, I want to talk about something a lot of gardeners skip:
Getting your garden ready before planting season actually begins.
What to Do Outside (When the Soil Isn’t Soggy)
First rule of March gardening:
Stay off your beds if they’re still wet.
Walking on saturated soil compacts it, and once soil structure is damaged, it takes a long time to recover.
Once things start drying out a bit, here are a few simple things you can do.
1. Clean up gently
Remove dead stems or plants that collapsed over winter, but don’t rip everything out aggressively. Old roots breaking down in the soil actually help feed the soil life.
2. Add compost
Instead of turning the soil over, I prefer to top-dress beds with compost this time of year. About an inch or two spread over the surface is plenty.
The worms and microbes will do the rest.
3. Take a look at your soil
Grab a handful.
Healthy soil should crumble easily and smell earthy. If you see worms, that’s a great sign things are alive and active underground.
4. Fix things now
March is a good time to tighten raised bed boards, repair trellises, or clean up irrigation before the season gets busy.
Future-you will be grateful.
What to Do Indoors
Even if it’s still too early to work outside much, there are a few things worth doing now.
• Look over last year’s garden layout
• Decide what you want to grow this season
• Order compost, seeds, or soil amendments
• Clean and sharpen your tools
If you’re starting tomatoes, peppers, or herbs from seed indoors, now is usually the time.
You can check out my full seed starting guide here → https://rehlherbs.com/starting-seeds-indoors/
What Not to Do Yet
This part might be the hardest for eager gardeners.
A few things I recommend holding off on:
• Don’t till your beds if you’re working toward healthier soil
• Don’t rush warm crops outside (our last frost is usually mid-May)
• Don’t start dumping fertilizer everywhere — compost will do plenty right now
And maybe most importantly…
Don’t worry if your garden still looks messy.
Early spring gardens always look a little rough. That’s normal.
Most of the important work is happening below the surface anyway.
One Last Thought
The best gardens aren’t built in May when everything is planted.
They’re built in the quiet work that happens before the season really begins.
Feeding the soil, planning the space, and giving things time to wake up naturally.
Spring will come soon enough.
