If you haven’t already noticed spring is here, officially kicked off earlier this week. That means it’s time to map out your garden. Advanced planning will save you money and time each year. Your local greenhouse and other stores will soon be set to display the very best varieties of vegetables and bedding plants as well.
Selecting the varieties that are best to grow in our Zone 5 conditions will save you money and headaches in the long run. Selecting the plants that your family likes to eat is entirely up to you.
Take the time to plan and map out your garden area, and get a sense of what you will be planting and where.
For instance, there are certain plants that don’t like to be grown next to others. If you need help with laying out your gardens, you can go to the Better Homes Gardens gardening website (www.bhg.com/gardening/plans/vegetable/). I find this can be a huge help in having a successful garden.
It’s time to plant your cool weather crops such as peas (Little Marvel), broccoli (Comet), cabbage (Danish Ball Head), beets (Detroit Red) and cauliflower (Snow Crown).
Peas can be planted ½-inch deep in rows around St. Patrick’s Day every year. You could plant these earlier if spring arrives sooner, or even if winter hangs on.
The broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower seeds can be planted in a 4-pack, 6-pack or 4-inch pot inside your home right now. Plant these about 1/4-inch deep and water well. Be sure to place them in a bright, sunny window during the day. You should be able to transplant these into your garden in April.
Make sure to plan your garden rows so they run north and south for the best sun exposure. Plan out your garden plot on grid paper, drawing it to scale, so you know how much space you have for each variety. Make certain that you look at maps on the Better Homes Gardens website mentioned above. This will help you with proper placement of the plants that love more water than other plants.
If you want some additional color in you garden, be sure to plant some marigolds or snapdragons, or even some petunias. These flowers help to scare away bugs.
Here’s some final hints on having a successful garden plan: Make sure you have a nice level planting area, soil with some good organic matter, water readily available, full sun and a basic garden fertilizer (16-16-8). Make sure not to use lawn fertilizers on your garden, or you’ll have lots of foliage and less veggies.
If you have any questions about gardening needs, contact me at mark.vanwagoner@nebo.edu. Remember, weather forecasters are forecasting a warmer than usual spring, so I’m sure you will be getting spring fever before long, if you haven’t already.
And remember, there’s nothing more therapeutic than spending at least 30 minutes a day out in the garden or yard digging in the dirt.
Until next time, come see me in the greenhouse!
• “The Garden’s Edge” is written by Mark Van Wagoner, greenhouse manager at Landmark High School. If you ever have a gardening question, email Mark at mark.vanwagoner@nebo.edu for quality guidance. And you are always welcome to come to the greenhouse at Landmark High School and see what he and the students are doing there.
Speak Your Mind