Image courtesy of Rebecca Schear on Flickr.
Many people consider starting their own garden once summer hits since the weather becomes consistently nicer. The problem with this is that many people come to find that the plants, vegetables, fruits, or herbs that they want to grow should have been planted back in Spring. With the help of this post, we hope that you will not have to be one of those people, (or that person again!). Don’t know what to grow in spring? Here are vegetables, fruit, and herbs that you should start growing in spring. Remember, some of these can start growing inside the home for a short period before the soil is ready in your garden.
And if you happen to be arriving at this post in the autumn, check out our fall gardening tips and ideas on how to prepare your gardens for winter, too!
Vegetables:
Early spring:
- Brocoli
- Carrots—make sure to weed the surrounding area well since weeds can take your carrots’ nutrients
- Lettuce—will benefit significantly from your kitchen compost.
- Turnips
- Beets
- Potatoes
- Cilantro
- Kale
- Cabagge
- Celery
- Onion
- Peas
- Spinach
After last frost:
- Cucumbers—Will taste sweeter if you plant near sunflowers!
- Summer and winter squash—Start winter squash indoors no more than 3 weeks before moving to garden.
- Eggplant
- Peppers—Start indoors 8 weeks before moving outdoors
- Tomatoes—Start indoors 6-7 weeks before moving outdoors
Fruits:
After frost:
- Melons
- Avocado
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Oranges
- Cherries
- Papaya
- Raspberries
Herbs:
- Basil
- Parsley
- Chives
- Coriander
- Sage
- Mint
- Dill
- Tarragon
- Thyme
Spring gardening tips:
- Set your plot in full sunlight and well-drained soil for the best harvest
- Start a compost pile! You can start by chopping up leaves and plant debris in your yard. You will want to do a 50:50 of layers of carbon-rich materials to nitrogen-rich materials. Carbon-rich materials are brown in color (think dried leaves). Nitrogen-rich materials are green in color (think grass and weeds). Layer these materials with water and a compost bioactivator.
- Decrease weeds and disease by spreading mulch over the soil
- Use egg shells as fertilizer!
- Water your plants with cooled Chamomile tea to prevent them from getting bacterial and fungal infections.
Want some fall gardening tips? Check out this post!
Sources:
http://www.marthastewart.com/270176/spring-gardening-tips
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/26/spring-gardening-tips_n_1380287.html#s813621&title=Water_Plants_With
http://www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/vegetable/spring-vegetable-garden-plan/
http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/your-spring-vegetable-garden-when-to-plant-what.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/15/8-tasty-veggies-to-plant_n_493776.html#s73316&title=Carrots