Garden and Kitchen Chores for March

Under that pile of snow is the garden gate.

The start of March feels like deja vu. This time last year, here in New England, we were complaining about the never ending winter. It was cold and snowy and the ground was completely frozen. Ha! Fast forward a year and we are wishing for the winter we were gripping about twelve months ago. Will I  get to do any of the outdoor chores on my list this month? Who knows. Here is perhaps my overly optimistic March Garden and Kitchen To Do list.


Garden Chores
 (I live in zone 6a)

Planting indoors this month:

Cabbages (caraflex, savoy, red and green), kale ( blue dwarf and Tuscany), alpine strawberries, watercress, eggplant, peppers, lemon balm and mint, pansies, rudbeckia, violas.

I don't close the lid all the way if condensation starts to form.

Summer heat loving eggplant and peppers will be started on heat mats. After researching alpine strawberries I have decided to try growing them from seed. They will be a new addition to my edible landscape.

Vermicompost:
My worms are fat and seem happy. I may have my first compost harvest at the end of the month.

Planting outside:
Radishes, green onions, peas and cress.
Last year, the ground wasn't warm enough to plant until mid April. My guess is it will be the same this year.

This elderberry needs pruning way back.

Pruning of elderberry and blueberry bushes?
Order daylillies and comfrey roots for my new hell strip garden. I'll do this only if I can set a date for delivery in April.

Bees:
Continue assembling the hive frames.

Reading:
Beekeeping, seed saving, vermicompost harvesting, perennial plant care (pruning, fertilizing, dividing).

New skills:
Cold press soap making.

I grew a beautiful  show of calendula last year but I wasn't prepared to use the petals.

I'm researching the process and looking into taking a class. I have so many botanicals growing in my garden and will hopefully have some honey and bees wax this year to use in the process.

Kitchen Chores

Lemon curd freezes beautifully.

March is the month when meyer lemons appear in the stores which means it is time to make marmalade and lemon curd. Meyer lemons have more depth and flavor than regular lemons and I look forward all year to cooking with them when they are season.

Start a new batch of fermented ginger beer.


Raw milk dairy products- this month I plan on using raw milk to make cream cheese, yogurt and ricotta.

Start eating the fresh lettuce grown indoors under grow lights in salads and sandwiches.


Preserved foods to use in recipes this month include sauerkraut .I made an amazing stew last week using sausage, sauerkraut, onions, chicken broth, frozen roasted tomatoes and lentils.

What are your plans for the month?

Sue