What to Plant in Spring & When
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Planting Tips from a Master Gardener
Growing our own food to be more self-sustaining has never been more important than it is right now. During these fearful times of this economic and pandemic crisis, knowing that I could grow all of my household’s food if necessary gives me great comfort. Not everyone has the means or the space to grow all of their own food, but many of us can at least grow a portion it - and every little bit helps. If you are in pandemic-imposed isolation and find yourself wanting to grow your own food over the next few months while we hunker down at home, then you are in the right place. If you are wanting to know what veggies grow the quickest, I’ll be sharing that too. And, if you are anything like me, you are dying to get seeds into the ground in as soon as possible so your family can be that much closer to eating delicious home-grown veggies. Knowing what to plant and when can be overwhelming as a beginner gardener, but I’m here to demystify this process, share my best tips as a master gardener, and help you get your dream kitchen garden started.
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What to plant in spring, and when, depends on a variety of factors such as hardiness zone, climate, soil type, precipitation levels, average last frost date, and temperatures. For example, my friends gardening in the Midwest have already planted their spring lettuce and are now able to harvest the first few leaves for green salads. In contrast, it is still a little early for me to plant those same varieties of lettuce because I’m located in a high-desert alpine climate in the Rockies. My garden is still at risk of seeing snow and deep freezes, so I need to wait until April when those early crops will have greater chances of surviving.
The planning process of your garden is truly the best time to determine what to plant in your garden. If you haven’t created a rough plan for your veggie patch or kitchen garden, then I highly recommend reading my tips before planting. In my blog post where I teach you how to plan your kitchen garden, I also teach you how to determine what will survive in your climate and where you should plant certain crops.
Planting starters and sowing directly by seed is certainly one of the more exciting moments in gardening (and it’s definitely one of my favorite activities to do in spring), but there are a few planting strategies to implement in order to ensure successful growth. Timing (according to your hardiness zone) is key, as well as seed placement, spacing, depth, and soil temperature.
Quick Growing Crops to Plant in Spring
The best plants to plant in spring include cold-hardy crops, and plants that do well with high precipitation and some cloudy days. If your climate experiences deep freezes and snow, then selecting freeze tolerant plants and timing your sowing dates properly will be especially important. Try planting the following crops in your kitchen garden this spring: spinach, radish, turnip, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kale, chives, bok choy, swiss chard, onions, leeks, cabbage, artichoke, asparagus, carrots, beets, potato, and lettuces. Each of these veggies will grow well in a variety of climates and soil types. The fastest growing spring crops include spinach, arugula, radish, and lettuce. The root vegetables (like carrots, potatoes, beets etc.) are often freeze tolerant, too.
I recommend planting warm-season crops after your average last frost date. Some warm season crops include: corn, tomato, pepper, cucumber, green bean, squash, zucchini, pumpkin, summer flowers, herbs, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, grape, currant, and fruit trees.
When to Plant Vegetables in Spring
When you discover your hardiness zone through your garden planning process, you’ll know the date of your average last frost, as well as the length of your growing season. As soon as the soil becomes workable in early spring, you are likely ready to start sowing. Read the seed packet of each of your crops to determine your sowing date. Early spring crop seed packets will tell you to “sow directly outside” a certain number of weeks prior to your last frost. Others may tell you to start the seeds indoors and transplant them during a certain window of time, or to sow seeds directly into your bed after your average last frost date. Each of our sowing dates will be different depending on our climate and bio-region. To determine seeding and transplanting dates, simply count backwards (or forwards) from your average last frost date to the time period the seed packet indicates as the best time to plant.
For example, my average last frost date is May 4th. Knowing that date, I look at the seed packets for all the crops I want to plant in my garden. The cold hardy and freeze tolerant seed packets usually tell me to sow seeds directly into the soil 2-4 weeks before my average last frost date. So I look at my calendar and count backwards 2-4 weeks to determine my sowing date. I chart out my planting dates for everything I grow in my garden, including seeds and plant starters that I buy at my local nursery. All of my warm-season crop seed packets tell me to start the plant indoors a few weeks before my average last frost date, then transplant after the last chance of frost has passed. So I wait to transplant those starters until after May 4th.
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Planting by Seed vs. Transplanting Starters
You can buy seed packets and sow each seed directly into the soil, or you can buy professionally started plants from a reputable nursery. There are benefits to both methods, and I usually end up doing a combination of both. Sowing direct usually creates more vigorous plants because they don’t undergo stressful transplants. The drawback is that they are more vulnerable to harsh outdoor weather and you can experience some crop loss in the early stages. To combat this, I plant a few more than I think I’ll need. Plants that are started in a controlled environment then transplanted outdoors can be started earlier in the grow season, giving them a head start. While businesses are closed down durning this pandemic, I’m planting as much of my kitchen garden by seed as I can.
Carrots, beets, radish, arugula and spinach need to be sown directly into garden beds because their tender roots don’t survive transplanting. Likewise, eyes of fully grown potatoes are easily sown directly into the soil as soon as the soil becomes workable. On the other hand, plants like kale, broccoli, brussels sprouts, lettuce, chives, artichoke, asparagus, onion, leeks, swiss chard, and cabbage perform well when they are started in a controlled environment then transplanted outdoors. These plants can also be started by seed, but I recommend buying some grow lights and starting them indoors for greater germination success.
If you choose to plant anything in your garden before your average last frost date, then watch the weather carefully until chances of freezing temperatures pass. If you see freezing temperatures in the forecast when you have starters or tender seedlings sprouting, then you’ll need to protect the fragile plant babies with a tarp or cloches. I use old milk jugs (cut in half) and old clear tupperwares as makeshift cloches to protect seedlings and starters from frosts in springtime.
My favorite seed company is Botanical Interests because it is locally based and their seeds are bred to thrive in many states throughout the US. I recommend searching for a seed company local to your area that offers locally adapted seeds that are open-pollinated, untreated, organic, and non-GMO certified.
Planting Tips from a Master Gardener
Prepare your garden soil by adding a 2 inch thick layer of fresh compost (if you didn’t apply compost in the Autumn). Then, gently mix in an organic slow release pellet fertilizer to the top 3 inches of the soil. Liquid fish emulsion is also a great organic fertilizer mixed with water and applied after planting and seeding.
Check your soil temperature with a soil thermometer, and look at the seed packet to know what soil temperature is best for seeding that particular variety of seed. Most of the time, successful germination occurs between 50-75*F. Successful transplanting is usually in that temperature range as well, depending on the plant.
Plant at the right depth and spacing for optimum growth. Seed packets indicate the depth in which seeds should be planted, as well as the distance between each seed. Following these guidelines will help you create the best environment for your sprouting garden. A dibber with measurements on it is my tool of choice for this task.
After seeding and transplanting, water your plants, then cover your soil with a 1 inch thick layer of mulch to protect the soil from erosion and weeds. This will also retain moisture and insulate those tender young plants.
You may also enjoy my Spring Sustainable Gardening Tips, and My Essential Gardening & Foraging Tools to help you get your kitchen garden started on the right foot.
What early spring crops are you ready to start planting in your garden?
