What to plant in March in Japan

15 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in March in Japan, for the climate around Mito area, Ibaraki, Japan.

Climate: Cold winters with frosts from November to April (coldest nights near -6 °C), warm humid summers around 30–35 °C, and a heavy rainy season from June to September, with September the wettest month.

Vegetables

  • Tomato Solanum lycopersicum

    Warm summers give plenty of heat, and the transplants go out after the last frost in April or May.

    Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Onion Allium cepa

    Cold winters trigger good bulbing, and the bulbs store well after the summer rains.

    Harvest: 120–180 daysEasyCare guide →

  • Spinach Spinacia oleracea

    Spring and autumn are cool and mild, the seasons spinach prefers, and it tolerates light frost.

    Harvest: 40–50 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Lettuce Lactuca sativa

    Cool spring and autumn weather keeps lettuce sweet and prevents bolting.

    Harvest: 45–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Potato Solanum tuberosum

    Spring planting after the frosts gives a summer harvest, and autumn planting works well too.

    Harvest: 80–110 daysEasyIn pots

  • Carrot Daucus carota

    Cool spring and autumn soils produce sweet, well-coloured roots.

    Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

Fruits

  • Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa

    Cold winters satisfy its chilling needs, and it fruits well in the spring warmth.

    Harvest: 1 year (first full crop the spring after planting)EasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Highbush blueberry Vaccinium corymbosum

    Its hardy dormant plants tolerate the cold winters, and the summer rain suits it if the soil is acidic.

    Harvest: 2–3 yearsModerateIn potsCare guide →

  • Japanese persimmon Diospyros kaki

    It is native to this region, survives the winter cold, and needs the hot summers to ripen its fruit.

    Harvest: 3–5 yearsModerate

  • Japanese plum Prunus salicina

    Its winter chilling and warm springs suit it, and it is well adapted to Japanese conditions.

    Harvest: 3–4 yearsModerate

  • Peach Prunus persica

    Hot summers ripen the fruit, and cold winters meet its chilling requirement.

    Harvest: 3–4 yearsModerateCare guide →

  • Common fig Ficus carica

    Hot summers ripen the figs well, and wrapping the young trees in winter protects them from the frosts.

    Harvest: 2–3 yearsModerateIn potsCare guide →

Herbs

  • Parsley Petroselinum crispum

    It tolerates the cold winters and grows steadily in the mild spring and autumn.

    Harvest: 70–90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Chives Allium schoenoprasum

    It is fully hardy in the cold winters and regrows reliably each spring.

    Harvest: 60–75 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →

  • Coriander Coriandrum sativum

    Cool spring and autumn weather suits it, and sowing outside the summer heat prevents early bolting.

    Harvest: 40–60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →