Master Gardener Ann Bartlett gives us a primer on preparing for the first wave of greens in your garden.
Ann comments that "Dickens wrote that each season has some beauty of its own. Winter makes me appreciate spring!"
It’s not too early to plan your spring vegetable garden. You can plant many cool-season crops from the fall garden in spring. However, some vegetables can only be grown in spring because the seeds germinate in cooler soil temperatures and the crop needs cooler weather to mature.
Peas and Beets: Special Spring Treats
One very special spring treat: peas, both shelling and snap. Plant pea seeds directly in the garden from February until March 20. The vines need support to keep the pods off the ground. (It’s best to install trellises before planting seeds.) Space rows 12 to 36 inches apart. Plant seeds 1/2 inch deep and 1 inch apart. There is no need to thin the seedlings, which emerge in one to three weeks. Peas are ready to harvest in approximately 2 months.
Beets are another crop grown only in spring. Plant seeds by March 10. Root crops need well worked, light soil. In our area, raised beds create the best conditions.
Most beet seed balls contain several embryos, producing several seedlings. Once the true leaves appear, thin these seedlings to 3 or 4 inches apart. Apply even moisture, which is essential to prevent zoning—ring formation in the root. Beets mature in 50 to 65 days, depending on the variety. Some seed packets contain several cultivars, so that even a small garden can produce both golden and red beets.
Leafy Vegetables: Yum!
You can plant lettuce and radishes in February and March. These crops need repeated plantings every 2 to 3 weeks to prolong the harvest. Once warm weather arrives, lettuce bolts—that is it becomes bitter and goes to seed.
Spinach is best planted in February because increasing day length and rising temperatures cause it to bolt. Look for bolt-resistant varieties. Plant the seeds 1/2 inch deep in rows a foot apart. Thin the seedlings 3 to 6 inches apart. Note: The French queen Catherine de’ Medici, who hailed from Florence, Italy, loved this vegetable. The term a la Florentine for dishes containing spinach is a lasting tribute to her.
Wait until March to plant Swiss chard. This spinach cousin is biennial, so it will not bolt and can tolerate warm weather. The varieties with colorful stems and leaf veins are ornamental enough to join the flower garden. Some claim that red chard has the best flavor.
Carrot Variations
Like beets, carrots must have light soil for the roots to have room to grow without deformities. Sow the seed directly in the garden and cover with 1/4 inch of vermiculite or compost. Keep the soil evenly moist to prevent soil crusting. When seedlings reach 4 inches tall, thin them 2 or 3 inches apart. When they have 7 to 10 leaves, hill 1 or 2 inches of soil over the crowns to prevent green shoulders. There is a wide variation in time needed for carrots to mature—from 36 to 90 days. Prolong the harvest by planting two or three different varieties.
The early season garden can be filled with wonderful cool-weather crops harvested before it’s time to set out summer favorites.