Best Seeds To Start In March in Canada

Add commentMarch 24, 20215 min read

Summary:

Starting Your seeds indoors can help you get the most out of container gardening.

Best Seeds To Start In March in Canada and knowing when to start can help your garden grow to its full potential. There is nothing more frustrating than growing your seeds but they are not ready for harvest until the end of the growing season.

Here are some of the products I use and the seeds I start to grow indoors from early March to the end of March. You will be able to plant more of these in two-three weeks so you can maximize your harvest in a small space. There is nothing like having fresh herbs growing all year round.

Table of Contents

Start Planting these seeds indoors on March 15

Use 10 scoops of seed starting mix to one of the worm castings with your seed starting mix. Although, It is loaded with microbes that are beneficial bacteria and mycroriza. These assist in the growing process early in growth. I highly recommend these starter products:

Best Seeds To Start Indoors for March in Canada

I recommend starting your backyard garden with these vegetables and herbs first to get the most out of your harvest. For instance, Rosemary takes much more time than other herbs to get started and you can grow quite the abundance if planned right. Tomatoes are also great to get started. You can keep picking and harvesting all summer long until fall. Here are some of the favorites I grow in March so they will be ready for outdoors on the May 24 Long Weekend:

Rosemary
Basil
Chives
Hot Peppers
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Celery
Fennel
Leeks
Lettuce
Onions
Oregano
Sage
Thyme
Tomatoes

These are just a few I like to start with. Arugula, Artichokes, Leeks, Spinach are other ones you may want to start indoors early. I usually also start my herbs around the end of March. This year a bit early because I want to plant them in stages so I have fresh plants all summer long. That way I can dry a couple of years’ worth of herbs. They also make great gifts at Christmas time.

To find what you can start indoors by region, I use the West Coast Seeds Regional Growing Charts to give me an idea. It can make planning your small space to its fullest potential.

How To Care For Your Seedlings

You need to choose the right soil mix and cups to start the germination of your seeds. This way your seedlings will be strong and not all long and thin. These cups I have recommended will make it easier to transplant in a couple of months before finding their permanent place outside. Use every window you can that gets sun during the day. Make sure you move them away from the windows that are drafty at night.
Keep your seedlings evenly moist, not saturated. I usually give mine a little bit of a drink every couple of days. If the top is dried up give them some water immediately. You can see from these ones in the picture below they are not soaked but they are evenly moist.

seedlings growing in jiffy cups with seed starting soil by miraclegro — Basil, Thyme, Rosemary, Jalapeno Peppers, Hot Salsa Peppers, Oregano, Tomatoes, and more

Final Suggestion

You also do not have to worry about putting them in the windows to begin them. Keep them in a dry warm place until they sprout, then you can move them to a window. Windows facing South and West tend to be the best. However, you can work with what you have.

When will they start sprouting above the soil?

You should see them pop up above the soil in a couple of weeks. Although, you may want to thin any that you planted too many seeds close together. Keep them watered and in sun most of the day. You will notice the roots starting to grow through the hole in the bottom. Once that happens you will need to start replanting them. That is what I love about these cups.

You only need to use the seedling soil for the first few weeks then you can transplant them into the Miracle-Gro soil I recommend below. They are also biodegradable so you do not have to force them out of the cup. Just gently tear the cup to help the roots grow outward. Keep your plants growing indoors until the last frost is over in your region. It took 9 days to start seeing some progress.

mammoth basil starting to sprout from seedlings

Next step and supplies you may need

I would recommend planting more seedlings when your plants are ready for replanting. Make sure you have enough space and good soil to keep your plants coming in all summer long. You can never worry about waste with herbs or peppers. You can always dry them or freeze them for later use in the winter months. I do this method for actually getting seeds for the next year. The first batch of plants I let flower since I have newer plants now growing in. I move those ones indoors so I can still enjoy fresh herbs all year round. However, I do recommend switching them out every 3-5 years depending on the plant.

Here are some of my top recommendations for you next step in container gardening: