When Should I Start Spring Planting?

As the weather warms up, it’s time to plant spring vegetables.

Doing this will provide you with a reliable supply of food and various vegetables throughout the year.

March and April are ideal for sowing hardy vegetable seeds outdoors, though some varieties can also be started indoors in February.

March

March is the perfect time to tidy up your garden, till the soil, and plant cool-weather vegetables and herbs. Additionally, now is an ideal time for planting spring annual flowers.

Some vegetables and herbs benefit from planting a few weeks before your region’s last frost date. Examples include beets, broccoli, and kale.

Other vegetables that grow well in early spring include radishes, spinach, beans, and peas. If your area experiences cold temperatures, you may want to protect these crops with a frost blanket or burlap sack until harvest time.

In preparation for spring planting, it’s wise to sow seeds indoors in March. That way, when it comes time to transplant your vegetables and flowers in the garden, their roots are already established, their stems are strong, and their leaves have time to develop before the first hard freeze arrives.

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If your climate is cold, seed-sowing winter-hardy perennials like rhubarb, asparagus, and spinach are an excellent addition to your garden that will provide delicious harvests throughout spring and summer.

Depending on your hardiness zone, you can plant tender root vegetables like beets, carrots, and potatoes. These seeds can be planted in many areas from late March until early April.

For further guidance on when and how to plant vegetables and herbs, contact your local nursery or extension service for more information.

You may also find a planting calendar online which will assist in deciding when and what plants to plant in your region.

In the North, you can directly sow lettuce, spinach, and other cool-weather crops into the ground this month. You may also sow warm-weather crops like tomatoes and squash in frost-free zones.

If you don’t already own a garden bed, consider picking up some planters at your local garden center or nursery to start growing these early-season vegetables.

You could also invest in a greenhouse or hot box, enabling planting these and other vegetables indoors until June or July, when they can be transplanted outdoors for harvest.

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April

April is an ideal time to sow seeds of hardy vegetables and herbs and flowers that will bloom during the summer. These plants need a warm, sunny location with regular irrigation until May, when they can be planted outdoors.

This month you can sow direct into the garden a variety of vegetables and herbs such as spinach, Swiss chard, turnips, cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, celery, and parsnips.

Spinach should be covered with horticultural fleece when frost is forecast to protect it from chilling.

Slugs and snails pose a problem for these leafy greens, so use beer traps to stop them from reaching your crops.

Other cold-tolerant veggies and herbs that can be planted outdoors this month include mustards, radishes, peas, and lettuce.

Be sure to sow these thinly in individual cells of soil as each seed won’t germinate if planted indoors; additionally, pole and bush beans can be planted now since they won’t germinate indoors (you’ll need a trellis or stalking support system).

Some perennial vegetables and herbs that can be planted outside this month include carrots, peas, cornflowers, lettuce, spinach, and kale.

To protect these tender plants from slugs and snails while they’re young, cover them with horticultural fleece until the weather warms up to avoid damage.

Herbs planted outdoors this year include dill, cilantro, fennel, parsley, and pot marjoram.

To grow these herbs successfully outdoors this year, they need sufficient sunlight and protection from slugs and snails; therefore, plant them where there is plenty of exposure to sunlight while being shielded from windy conditions.

Finally, planting cool-weather vegetables that survive the first spring frost should be done.

Examples of such crops include broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, radish, and beets that can be planted 6-12 inches (15-30cm) apart on a flat surface with soil that has been dug and raked to a fine tilth before sowing them.

This month is an ideal time to plant perennials that will bloom throughout the spring and summer, such as dahlias, sunflowers, and canna lilies.

Some perennials need to be planted more than 10-12 weeks before the last average frost date; thus, it’s essential that you research your climate before planting these plants accordingly.

Spring Planting Tips For My Home Garden

Here are some general guidelines to follow:

1. Prepare Your Soil: Before planting, ensure your soil is ready. You can do this by removing any weeds or stones and mixing in organic matter, such as compost or manure, to improve soil fertility.
2. Choose the Right Plants: Different plants thrive in different conditions. Consider your local climate, the amount of sunlight your garden receives, and the quality of your soil when choosing what to plant.
3. Start Seeds Indoors: For certain plants, you may want to start growing the seeds indoors before the last frost date. This gives them a head start and can result in a longer growing season.
4. Plant at the Right Time: Each type of plant has an ideal time for planting. Some plants should be planted after the danger of frost has passed, while others may need to be planted earlier.
5. Water Wisely: Most plants do best with an inch of water per week, but this can vary based on the type of plant and your local climate. Be careful not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot and other problems.
6. Use Mulch: Mulch can help retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and regulate soil temperature. It’s especially useful during the hot summer months.
7. Rotate Your Crops: If you’re planting a vegetable garden, try to rotate your crops each year. This can help prevent the buildup of pests and diseases that favor specific plants.
8. Prune Appropriately: Pruning helps improve your plants’ health and appearance. Make sure to prune at the right time for each specific plant.

Remember, these are general tips, and your situation may require different care.

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May

May is the fifth month in the calendar, and it’s also when most of our warm-season crops start sprouting. Though most areas experience their last frost-free date around late May or early June, there’s still time to plant most of your summer garden this month!

In most zones, now is the time to direct sow beans, corn, squash, and summer carrots (including okra and pumpkin). Transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, Swiss chard, tomatillos, cucumber, zucchini, and okra into your garden beds.

It is also an ideal time to sow seeds of broad beans and fava beans, two hardy vegetables that will thrive in cool spring temperatures.

If your window has some sunlight, you can sow lettuce, chard, spinach, and radishes this month. Doing so will give them a head start on their season so that you can harvest them in the fall.

Now is an ideal time to harden off frost-tender plants, such as vegetables, herbs, and perennial flowers you started indoors. Do this immediately or your plants may become leggy and weak before transplanting.

Now is the perfect time to fertilize your perennial flowers, particularly those you planted in the fall. Doing so will give them a jump-start on growth and enable them to bloom beautifully come May.

Now is an ideal time to pull any weeds that have taken hold in your garden. Weeds can be one of the first pests to appear in spring, so controlling them now will keep your yard free from unwanted visitors.

Once you’ve finished weeding, it is time to work the soil and plant your new garden crops. Now is an excellent time to add compost or other organic material into the beds.

Remember that warmer temperatures can be ideal for worms and other pests when working your soil in the springtime.

Therefore, it may be best to wait until the ground has dried out a bit before tilling it.

June

June is an ideal time to plant heat-loving crops. Tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and melon can be planted for a summer harvest later on.

Plants that can tolerate temperatures above 75 deg F should be started now, especially if they will be grown in a greenhouse.

You can also sow seeds of warm-season herbs like basil, lemongrass, dill, and mint for later planting.

June, it’s the ideal time to plant seeds for summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, melons, and potatoes.

Additionally, warm-season crops like beans, pumpkins, cucumbers, and squash can be planted at this time as well.

Radishes and beets, which can tolerate hot weather if planted in soil that has reached 70 degrees Fahrenheit, may be harvested in June; however, certain lettuce types won’t germinate properly if their seeds are planted too early in the season.

Carrots, beets, and parsnips can also be planted in June; these plants will sprout after the last frost (which may occur as late as mid-June in high mountain regions).

Peas and beans can be planted in June if grown under ideal conditions of warm, sunny weather.

To maximize growth potential, they should be hardened off before planting outside; however, they don’t become overly tall when they have four leaves and are about pencil thin in size (before transplanting).

Scallions and onions are an excellent way to add variety and interest to your garden in June.

You can show them from seeds in drills of 1 inch (2.5cm) deep, spaced 12 inches (30cm) apart. While you can pick them at any time, harvest them early in June for optimal flavor.

If you live in Zone 8 to 10 of the US, June is an ideal time to plant tomatoes, melons, and corn.

These crops can withstand warm temperatures and will begin sprouting by June; however, ensure they’re covered with row cover to prevent them from drying out.

Happy gardening!