Is It Cold In March? Our Current Homesteading Plans

Is it cold in March? Oh boy it is. Though the temperatures during the day are rising, we are seeing below freezing numbers at night. Great for maple sugaring, kind of rough on the rest of our projects. Between the snow melt creating deep mud and the following solidification, our little dirt road leading to the homestead in prompting us to keep our errand runs to a minimum. And for our daily walks? We've taken out the muck boots.

By the way, all pictures for this post were taken by our daughter Carolyn, age 10, from different locations around the homestead. I think they are fantastic!

Is It Cold In March? 

March just seems to be that 'pay-it-forward' season where a little sacrifice must be made to really enjoy spring. The snow is melting and we have some buds forming in the trees, but the ground is too soft for working on and the frost line is still solid below ground. 

We are close to removing the mulch from the garlic beds, however, and getting our hands in some quality gardening soil is going to be wonderful.

We are looking at perhaps another week, maybe two, for the maple sap buckets to do their thing, but as soon as the trees decide to bud, the flow will be over. Once last boil and we can put up our little store of syrup. Did you know it takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of syrup? With four trees being tapped, we're not going to be seeing much. That means this spring we'll tag more trees and be ready for next year.

Is it cold in March? You betcha, but not for long. It's the wind that gets us, and with the pressure systems pushing warm weather our way, they have to move the cold air first. Talk about breezy-freezy.

Weather in New Hampshire

Weather in New Hampshire has its own unique fluctuations, just as other regions. Up here, we plan on five solid months of snow and cold, and maybe six months of a revolving planting season (zone 5a-5b), starting with lettuce greens and root crops. This flows into a hot summer with peppers, tomatoes and such, then squashes in the late summer and fall.

If we hit all of our marks, Wendie and I can easily put up enough food for the coming winter. But, the weather in New Hampshire doesn't always cooperate, with long stretches of rain, followed by longer stretches of dry conditions. Some years we rely on the soaker hose, others, the bilge pump.

Weather Forecast

The Farmer's Almanac is suggesting a solid year for gardening, so we've planned what we could and are getting ready. Our newest addition to the homestead, starting in late May, will be the bees. This means an additional planting of wildflowers, including lupine and an attempt at lavender. 

The kids are getting out of school on time this year, as they didn't use as many snow days as were scheduled. We are thinking of summer camp opportunities, but may decide that the first summer of our homesteading adventure will be with us. 

Working from home is our pleasure, and sending the kids to be outside all day while we work on the deck overlooking the lake seems a good idea. I suppose we'll just have to see.

We love sharing our homesteading life with you all, and truly enjoy when you join the conversation. is it cold in March where you live? How do you work around your local weather forecast? What do do you think of the weather in New Hampshire? Let us know by posting below, and don't forget to subscribe!