In the Midwest, we like to combat winter cabin fever by starting our
garden planning well before the mid-May last frost. Right now is the
perfect time to get ready for the rapidly approaching growing season.
Here are some tips to aid you in getting your spring garden off to a
successful start.
Keep It Simple
Whether you're
planting your first garden or have been growing for years, there is
always a new variety of plant, fruit, or vegetable that begs to be
planted. This is part of the fun of gardening, so it's okay to give in
sometimes -- just not every time! It's easy to overestimate your
enthusiasm and available growing space (both of which are in short
supply in the heat of July) and waste money on plants and seeds that
never find a home in your garden. Think about what worked last year --
and what didn't -- and what you'd like to accomplish this year.
Last year, I planted far too many tomatoes. This year I won't make the
same mistakes, no matter how deeply discounted my garden center's
tomato plants! If you're brand new to gardening, have an experienced
friend come look around your yard and give you their opinion on your
plans.
The keeping it simple motto applies to equipment and
other supplies too. Before you buy trellis panels, bamboo stakes, or
tons of bags of compost, see if you can plant vining plants near a
fence, use small branches from your yard to stake plants, or make use of
leaves or other yard debris to make your own compost pile.
Start Now
Now is the time to begin starting your seeds indoors. There are many
benefits to this -- including a sooner harvest of your peas and greens!
Starting your seeds in a
72-celled flat and then potting them up into a
50-celled flat
before planting them outside gives them a burst of new nutrients and
plenty of room to grow - which means they'll be plenty strong by the
time they're ready for their final planting outdoors. The time to move
them from the smaller to larger-celled flat is when they have two sets
of true leaves (the original set of leaves they send up when they first
germinate will likely have withered at this point - that's normal!).
Build a Compost Pile
This is one of the most satisfying things I do as a gardener.
Composting
is when you take food and yard wastes and combine them in a pile, where
they break down and become a rich hummus that you can add to your
garden. There are many different ways to compost, but the simplest way
is the one I described above. If you put together a nicely balanced
compost pile starting now, you'll have a batch of garden-ready compost
to help out your soil mid-season.
Consider adding
red wiggler worms
to your compost pile. One pound of worms will break down one half pound
of food and yard waste each day! This will help your compost mature
more quickly. When you're ready to transfer your compost to the garden,
save a bucketful of that pile to help populate your new one with worms.
Keep a Log
I confess, even though I've been gardening for years, I only starting
keeping a garden log last year. I use it to jot down quick notes on what
seeds I started that day, what was ready to harvest, when a vegetable
plant stops producing, and anything else I think might be useful to
remember. It's helpful to look back over it during the off-season when
I'm daydreaming about next year's garden. Your log can be as simple as a
big wall calendar or a blank book - or you can
buy one ready-made just for this purpose
Surprisingly, I haven't been able to find an app that will do what
old-fashioned pen and paper will. There are, though, many useful
gardening apps
that work well with the notes you've kept and may help you figure out
problematic patterns you've noticed, plan for future seasons, or
identify a garden pest.
Think Ahead
Spring is
just the beginning! Keep in mind that many spring plants don't like the
heat of summer. Peas and lettuce are good examples - start these indoors
and plant outside as soon as you can so you can reuse their space for
planting sun-loving plants once the temperatures begin to climb.
Extend the growing season for your lettuce by shielding it from the
sun. How? Sprinkle lettuce seed - sparingly - in the soil between tall,
leafy plants such as tomatoes, sunflowers, or bush beans. The shade from
these plants will help shield the lettuce from the heat.
Just Do It
If you're a first time gardener who's looking at all of this
information and feeling overwhelmed, this tip is for you: just get out
there and plant something. Sure, there are methods and best practices to
follow. Of course, I would love to see you follow each of these tips.
Keep this in mind, though: plants have a will to live. You'll get to
experience this when pulling weeds mid-season! If you have a desire to
garden and the time and will to follow through, you will no doubt be
successful - even if you don't have the most bountiful garden your first
year. Plant according to seed packet directions in healthy soil, water
as directed, and enjoy the experience. Next year's garden will be even
better.
If you're truly short on tools or time, you can "build" a
raised bed quickly and simply. Lay a thick layer of cardboard, paper,
and/or paper bags on the spot where you want to plant -- no need to
remove any grass that may be there. On top of that, apply a 6" layer of
potting soil. You're ready to plant!
