Cold Winter Areas
Zones: 1–7a
These zones experience cold winters with extended periods of freezing temperatures. In March, monitor soil conditions, thaw cycles, and late frosts as you prepare for early outdoor sowing. Indoors, this is a busy month for starting cool-season crops and hardy flowers under lights or in a greenhouse so they are ready to transplant as soon as the weather warms.
Indoors (fresh harvests):
- Microgreens: peas, broccoli, sunflowers, arugula.
- Sprouts: alfalfa, broccoli, radish, mung
- Herbs & greens under lights: chives, parsley, mint
Crops to start indoors in good light: bunching onion, eggplant, tomato, pepper, zinnia, basil, Swiss chard, cosmos
Transplants to move outdoors (weather permitting - harden first): Onion, parsley, broccoli, cabbage, kohlrabi, arugula, pansy, viola
Crops that can be directly sown outdoors in March (assume intermittent frosts; a low tunnel or row cover makes most of these reliable): pak choi, cabbage, kale, mustard, fava bean, pea, turnip, parsnip, sweet pea
Cover crops: winter rye, fava bean, hairy vetch, red or white clover, and cover crop mixes.
Tip: This zone group covers a lot of territory. Nothing takes the place of talking with experienced gardeners in your area and, of course, watching the weather closely.
Use your USDA zone as a guide. Microclimates matter—coastal/urban spots run warmer; high elevation runs colder. 7b pockets can follow “Mild” recommendations with protection.
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![Legend: H for Heirloom, O for Organic, A for AAS Winner, F for staff favorites]()
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Marvel Stripe
80 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Marvel Stripe Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat tolerant, drought tolerant, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden...
Lettuce Seeds - Crisphead - Ithaca
50-60 days. Ithaca Crisphead Lettuce Seeds. Lactuca sativa. Non-GMO. Open Pollinated. ~25,000 seeds per oz. Download Free Vegetable Growing Guide PDF Growing Non-GMO Ithaca Crisphead Lettuce Vegetable Seeds Download Free...
Cucumber Seeds - Brown Russian
50 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Brown Russian Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious, burpless, slicing cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds,...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Cal Ace VF
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Cal Ace VF Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, determinate, heat tolerant, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Lettuce Seeds - Leaf - Maricella
Maricella Leaf Lettuce Seeds. 60 days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Heirloom. Open Pollinated. Maricella is a triple red Lolla Rossa type with densely curled leaves. Approximately 25,000 seeds/ounce. Lettuce Seeds...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Beefsteak White
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycoperscium. Beefsteak White Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, heirloom, open-pollinated, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Also...
Eggplant Seeds - Gretel Hybrid
50 days. AAS Winner for 2005. New miniature eggplants are white with violet/purple stripes. The fruit are non-bitter, with a tender skin and few seeds. The elongated, oval eggplants can...
Pak Choi Seeds - Chun Mei Hybrid
45-50 days to maturity.Brassica rapa var chinensis. Chun Mei Pak Hybrid Choi Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, late maturing cool-season annual, hybrid. Chun Mei hybrid is very slow bolting standard large...
Cucumber Seeds - Addis
55-65 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Addis Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, monoecious, pickling cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support), garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Gold Medal
90 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Gold Medal Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Cucumber Seeds - Garden Sweet Burpless Hybrid (Organic)
55 Days to maturity. Cucumis sativus. Organic Garden Sweet Burpless Hybrid Cucumber Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, organic, F1 hybrid, monoecious, burpless, slicing cucumber. Suitable for growing in fields, containers (with support),...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Rocky Ford Green Flesh
89 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Rocky Ford Green Flesh Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds,...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Osaka Shirona
40-60 Days to maturity. Brassica rapa var. Pekinensis 'Osaka Shirona'. Osaka Shirona Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Annual. The shirona Cabbage group may be a cross between Chinese cabbage and pak choi,...
Chinese Broccoli Seeds - Wan Shen
60-65 days to maturity.Brassica oleracea var alboglabra. Wan Shen Chinese Broccoli Seeds. Non-GMO, warm or cool-season annual, heirloom. Wan Shen is one of the most popular green vegetables in Chinese...
Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Parris White Cos
Parris White Cos Romaine Lettuce Seeds. 50 - 80 days to maturity. Lactuca sativa. Heirloom, Annual. Approximately 25,000 seeds/ounce. Lettuce Seeds - Romaine - Parris White Cos Large cylindrical upright...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Sierra Gold (Organic)
90 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Organic Sierra Gold Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heat-tolerant cantaloupe. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Calypso
75 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Calypso Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat and humidity tolerant, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots,...
Chinese Cabbage Seeds - Yukina Savoy
25-45 days to maturity.Brassica rapa var. pekinensis. Yukina Savoy Chinese Cabbage Seeds. Non-GMO, cool-season annual, heirloom. Yukina Savoy looks like a larger and savoyed version of Tatsoi. Considered one of...
Beet Seeds - Boltardy
The Boltardy beet is rich in both taste and color. Unlike many beets, the Boltardy can be sown early as it doesn’t bolt. Seeds should be planted ½” below the...
Melon Seeds - Charantais - Hakucho Hybrid
65 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo var. cantalupensis. Charantais Hakucho Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, hybrid, heat-tolerant Asian Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Also...
Carrot Seeds - Samurai Red
70 to 90 Days to maturity. Daucus carota Samurai Red - Carrot Seeds. Heirloom. Cool Season Annual. This is a Japanese kintoki-type (sweet red) carrot. Its glossy deep scarlet roots...
Eggplant Seeds - Kyoto Egg - Hybrid
80 days maturity after transplant. Solanum melongena ’Kyoto Egg’. Kyoto Egg Eggplant Seeds. Non-GMO, warm-season, annual, hybrid. This small Japanese eggplant is a generous producer of unique round fruits that...
Melon Seeds - Casaba - Sungold (Organic)
85-110 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Organic Sungold Casaba Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant, drought-tolerant, Casaba Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
Melon Seeds - Cantaloupe - Iroquois
75-90 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Iroquois Cantaloupe Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Cantaloupe Melon. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and greenhouses. Resistant to...
Lettuce Seeds - Batavian - Chrystal
Chrystal Batavian Lettuce Seeds. 50 days to full maturity. 30 days to maturity for baby leaves. Lactuca sativa. Open Pollinated. Annual. This summer crisp type of lettuce is all about...
Melon Seeds - Honeydew - Orange Flesh (Organic)
105 Days to maturity. Cucumis melo. Organic Orange Flesh Honeydew Melon Seeds. A non-GMO, annual, organic, open-pollinated, heirloom, heat-tolerant Honeydew Melon. Suitable for growing in containers, garden plots, raised beds,...
Lettuce Seeds - Butterhead & Bibb Mix (Organic)
Organic Butterhead and Bibb Lettuce Mix. An attractive blend of green, speckled, and bronze-tinged bibb lettuces. A wonderful salad mix with fabulous tasting lettuces that are crisp, clean, and easy...
Carrot Seeds - Lunar White (Organic)
Daucus carota. (60 days)Creamy moon-white carrots just glow in a salad or on the market stand. People just can't get over the novelty of a white carrot, but in fact...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Giant Belgium Yellow
82-95 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Giant Belgium Yellow Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, heirloom, indeterminate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds,...
Mustard Seeds - Tokyo Bekana - Organic
Organic Tokyo Bekana Mustard Seeds. 45 days to maturity. Brassica juncea. Open Pollinated, Non-GMO, Annual. It has bright light green leaves that are curly and ruffled. ~ 15,000 Seeds/ounce. Download...
Tomato Seeds - Slicing - Green Zebra Giant
85 Days to maturity (from transplant). Solanum lycopersicum. Green Zebra Giant Tomato Seeds. Non-GMO, warm season annual, open-pollinated, determinate, slicing tomato. Suitable for growing in garden plots, raised beds, and...
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