What to plant in March in China
14 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in March in China, for the climate around Shanghai, China.
Climate: Humid subtropical: winter nights fall below freezing from December to February, summers are hot and humid, June to August brings plum-rain and typhoon rains (Aug about 450 mm), and the growing season runs roughly from late March to late November.
Vegetables
Pak choi Brassica rapa
Quick cool-season greens that sow well in spring and autumn, when Shanghai's temperatures are mild.
Harvest: 35–50 daysEasyIn pots
Spinach Spinacia oleracea
Prefers the cool spring and autumn, and bolts in the summer heat, so sow in the cooler months.
Harvest: 40–50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Cut-and-come-again leaves grow best in the mild spring and autumn weather of this climate.
Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Radish Raphanus sativus
Fast-maturing roots that fit the short gaps between seasons in Shanghai's gardens.
Harvest: 25–40 daysEasyIn pots
Carrot Daucus carota
Deep, loose soil in the autumn and spring gives sweet roots, though summer sowings need steady watering.
Harvest: 70–90 daysModerateIn potsCare guide →
Garden pea Pisum sativum
Cool-season peas sow in late winter or autumn and finish before the summer heat.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Fruits
Asian pear Pyrus pyrifolia
Hardy to the local winter minimum and able to handle humid summers, so Asian pears fit this area well.
Harvest: 3–5 years to first fruitModerate
Persimmon Diospyros kaki
A traditional Chinese fruit tree that tolerates the local frosts and the hot, humid autumn.
Harvest: 3–5 years to first fruitEasy
Loquat Eriobotrya japonica
Native to this region's warm temperate zone, it tolerates light frost and fruits in late winter.
Harvest: 3–4 years to first fruitEasyIn pots
Blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum
Chilling winters suit it, but it needs acidic soil or pot mix and reliable watering in the wet summer.
Harvest: 2–3 years to first fruitModerateIn potsCare guide →
Herbs
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Prefers the mild spring and autumn, bolting quickly in summer heat.
Harvest: 40–50 days for leavesEasyIn potsCare guide →
Mint Mentha spicata
Hardy perennial that survives frost and spreads vigorously, best kept in its own container.
Harvest: 60–70 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Tolerates the local cold and grows well in pots on a balcony.
Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Chinese chives Allium tuberosum
Frost-hardy perennial that regrows after cutting, and is a common herb in Shanghai kitchens.
Harvest: 60–80 daysEasyIn pots