Photo credited to University of Illinois Extension
Why the early start? Well-rooted young plants in March better cope with the warm 70°F days ahead in April and May. Poorly established vegetables like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower get “heat stroke” on hot days and likely will bolt (go to seed).
Plant your greens – lettuce, mustard, spinach, chard and kale. Turnips provide both greens and edible roots. Root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes and radishes are part of the early spring agenda.
For carrots to develop well, they require a loose, friable soil. Most of us garden in a tight, clay soil. I advise planting carrots in a raised bed, mixing generous amounts of compost into your soil, creating a porous and deep-rooting grow medium.