Shanghai in March: what to plant
Over the last 5 years, March in Shanghai has run 7.5–16.4°C with about 91 mm of rain across the month. Here is what weather like that will carry to harvest.
Everything above is a five-year average. In the game it is this — the weather Shanghai is actually having, today.
Grow one in Shanghai's weather right now →❄️ In 1 of the last 5 years, Shanghai saw at least one night at or below 0°C in March (record low -1.6°C). Cold-sensitive crops need cover.
🗓️ This month sits inside the frost-free window. Average last spring frost around Feb 23, first autumn frost around Dec 8 — roughly 289 frost-free days. Sow tender crops after the last frost date and make sure they finish before the first.
☀️ About 6.8 h of sunshine a day this month. Within the month it warms by about 3.7°C from the first ten days to the last.
Sow this month — when would you harvest?
Assuming you sow in mid-March, then adding up the warmth Shanghai usually gets, one day at a time — which is why some of these run past the end of the month.
| Crop | Days | Harvest around |
|---|---|---|
| 🫛 Peas | 58 | May 11 |
| 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens | 42 | Apr 25 |
| 🥗 Lettuce | 55 | May 8 |
| 🌿 Rocket | 35 | Apr 18 |
| 🌿 Coriander | 46 | Apr 29 |
| 🫘 Broad bean | 68 | May 21 |
| ⚪ Turnip | 47 | Apr 30 |
| ⚪ Daikon radish | 59 | May 12 |
| 🍒 Cherry Radish | 32 | Apr 15 |
| 🍓 Strawberry | 61 | May 14 |
| 🟣 Beetroot | 58 | May 11 |
| 🏵️ Marigold | 63 | May 16 |
Best crops to sow now
They are all ideal for this month — the only real difference is how long each one takes, so pick whatever you want to eat.
- 🫛 Peas about 89 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Chrysanthemum greens about 61 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🥗 Lettuce about 82 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Rocket about 47 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🌿 Coriander about 66 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🫘 Broad bean about 107 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Turnip about 70 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- ⚪ Daikon radish about 91 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍒 Cherry Radish about 44 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🍓 Strawberry about 95 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🟣 Beetroot about 89 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C — right in the sweet spot
- 🏵️ Marigold about 122 days to harvest Recent mean 12.0°C is too cold (ideal 12–30°C)
Leave these for another month
- 🌶️ Okra — Recent mean 12.0°C is too cold (ideal 20–33°C)
- 🍆 Aubergine — Recent mean 12.0°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
- 🍈 Winter melon — Recent mean 12.0°C is too cold (ideal 18–32°C)
Other months in Shanghai
📍 Somewhere else? Look up your own city →
Temperature and rainfall come from Open-Meteo's historical observations for Shanghai, averaged day by day over the last 5 years. Whether a crop finishes in time is worked out from its own starting temperature and heat requirement — those numbers are listed on each crop page if you want to check them.