by Mark Levisay
There is a lot going on in the vegetable garden at this time of year, so I thought I’d share what I’m doing at home in my garden. Preparing your beds for planting should be an ongoing project. Pulling weeds and adding some lime are the two things I try to accomplish before planting any plants or seeds.
Prep your beds
I usually fertilize right before planting and for several years I’ve been using Espoma’s “Plant-Tone” organic fertilizer. It’s N-P-K rating is 5-3-3, so it’s not overly strong, and doesn’t “burn” the roots of seedlings, or harm seeds when you plant. This fertilizer is made from ground up chicken by-products and seems to benefit the texture of the soil in addition to raising fertility levels. I often use this to line where rows will go, or the spots where I’ll plant tomato or pepper seedlings. As a side note, my dogs love the smell and apparently the taste, so I only use it inside the fenced garden!
The right time to plant vegetables
As far as vegetables go, let’s talk about the first days of spring—what should be in, what to plant now, and what should still wait a bit longer. Asparagus crowns, peas and spinach should be in by now. Asparagus crowns are often shipped at the end of February, as they’ll be planted under several inches of soil, and won’t sprout until April. Peas love cooler weather, so early March is usually a good time to plant so that the peas will mature before the real heat of summer. Spinach germinates best in cool soil, and matures quickly, so you can probably still plant some now and have harvestable leaves before it gets hot.
This week I put out broccoli and cabbage seedlings in a covered bed. Generally I might wait until early April but the covered bed should keep the plants warmer than the outside temperature. Other brassicas like kale, cauliflower and brussel sprouts can go out now too. I also planted a row of lettuce, and one of beets. These can be planted any time in the next several weeks. If you see strawberry plants, this is a good time to plant or transplant them.
It is still too early—by almost a month—to plant things like beans, squash and cucumbers. These all like warm soil to germinate, though some bean varieties are better for planting into cool soil. Check your seed catalog or packets for the description. You can plant squash, cucumber and melon seeds ahead of time in plantable pots to get a head start, but the cucurbit family are tricky to transplant—they don’t like their roots disturbed. Very late April (depending on the weather) or early May is a good time frame to shoot for.
Things like tomatoes, peppers and melons should really wait until almost mid-May to go out, unless we’re having really warm weather at the start of May. These seedlings don’t tolerate frost at all, so if you decide to plant them out early, be prepared to cover them on cold nights. I have started both tomato and pepper seeds under lights inside the house, and they should be ready to set out by mid-May.
Another thing you can “plant” now are your tomato supports. I use, and re-use 8’ 2x2” poles, and you can measure out your tomato bed and set the poles now if you have time. I also lay out the soaker hose I’m going to use in that bed so when it’s time to put in the seedlings, everything is ready to go!
Have a garden question? Send me an email at marklevisay@gmail.com.