Cool Weather Crops

March is the start of the spring gardening season. Many cool weather crops can be planted outside now as seeds or vegetable starts. What we plant from late March into April?

We can plant many cool weather vegetable seeds directly in the ground. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, turnips like the cooler spring temperatures and can be planted from seed now.

You can also plant vegetable starts now, just be sure you harden them off before you plant them. Onions and garlic can also be planted now.

Onions are planted from seed, sets and plants.

Garlic is planted from individual cloves.

Potatoes should be planted later in April. Egg-sized seed potatoes can be planted whole. Larger seed potatoes can be cut in half or quartered and then planted. Make sure you have at least one set of "eyes" on each piece you plant. Always select certified seed potatoes. Supermarket potatoes are often treated to prevent them from sprouting. This is the time to plant perennial vegetables, including rhubarb and asparagus.

Rhubarb is available as bare root crowns or as rooted starts. Asparagus is available now as bare-root crowns.  Don't harvest rhubarb or asparagus during their first season. This will allow the plant to establish. Rhubarb and asparagus can produce for 10 years or more, so pick a spot in the garden where they won't be disturbed for many seasons.

Before planting your seeds, starts or crowns, amend your soil with compost and peat moss. Take the bags home, dump into a pile, mix it all together and  add to your vegetable garden.

Add some vegetable fertilizer to your soil while you're planting. Place  some in the bottom of each row or planting hole, so the roots of your new plants can grow into it. While you're at it, plant some pansies and violas for color.