What to plant in March in Portugal
16 vegetables, fruits and herbs to sow or plant in March in Portugal, for the climate around Central Portugal, Santarem district (lat 39, lon -9).
Climate: Mild Mediterranean climate with cool, damp winters (coldest nights around 2-6 °C, rare light frost), hot dry summers with highs near 39 °C, and almost no rain from June to September, so summer beds need irrigation.
Vegetables
Tomato Solanum lycopersicum
Warm, sunny summers ripen fruit well once seedlings are set out after the last cold nights in spring.
Harvest: 60-85 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Lettuce Lactuca sativa
Mild winters and cool autumns let lettuce grow in two seasons, and it bolts in the heat of summer.
Harvest: 45-65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Cabbage Brassica oleracea
Cool autumns and winters suit heading brassicas, which are sown in late summer or early spring.
Harvest: 90-120 daysModerateCare guide →
Potato Solanum tuberosum
Mild winters and spring rains let early and late crops produce well, and tubers are harvested before summer heat.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasy
Onion Allium cepa
Autumn-planted sets or transplants mature in the long dry early summer, which helps bulbs cure.
Harvest: 120-180 daysEasyCare guide →
Green bean Phaseolus vulgaris
Warm soil from spring onward gives quick, heavy pickings before the late summer heat slows plants.
Harvest: 50-65 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Carrot Daucus carota
Cool spring and autumn weather produce sweet, straight roots with little bolting.
Harvest: 70-100 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Beetroot Beta vulgaris
Tolerates the cool season and grows quickly in the mild spring and autumn.
Harvest: 55-70 daysEasyIn pots
Fruits
Fig Ficus carica
Native to the Mediterranean, figs handle the dry hot summer and survive the mild winter minimum.
Harvest: 2-3 yearsEasyIn potsCare guide →
Pomegranate Punica granatum
Drought-tolerant and loves the hot dry summers, which sweeten and colour the fruit.
Harvest: 3-4 yearsEasyIn pots
Orange Citrus sinensis
Mild winters above freezing and warm summers suit sweet oranges, though nights near 2 °C need some shelter.
Harvest: 3-5 yearsModerateIn pots
Strawberry Fragaria × ananassa
Cool winters and spring warmth give sweet berries, and plants are set out in autumn or early spring.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Herbs
Parsley Petroselinum crispum
Hardy through the mild winter and productive in cool spring and autumn.
Harvest: 70-90 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Rosemary Salvia rosmarinus
Native to dry Mediterranean hillsides, it thrives on the summer drought and mild winters.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Thyme Thymus vulgaris
Drought-hardy and happy in hot, sunny, well-drained spots, surviving the local winter easily.
Harvest: 90-120 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →
Coriander Coriandrum sativum
Prefers cool weather and bolts in summer heat, so it is best sown in spring and autumn.
Harvest: 40-60 daysEasyIn potsCare guide →