Now's the Time to Plant Cool Season Crops

 

Now’s the time many cool season crops can be planted outside as seeds or vegetable starts. This is possible because many crops will germinate in cold soil and mature in cooler weather and shorter periods of daylight, meaning they are perfect for planting in early spring. You can get an early start on your edible garden by planting cool season crops as soon as the soil is workable. Beets, broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce, peas, spinach, turnips like the cooler spring temperatures and can be planted from seed now.

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. Now’s 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 are long lived perennials, so pick a spot in the garden where they won't be disturbed for many seasons. 

  

You can also plant vegetable starts now, just be sure you harden them off before you plant them. Taking time to acclimate your starts to the outside world will help produce the best results in your early spring garden. The process is easy, but it takes time. On the first day, pick a sheltered, shady spot under a tree or on the patio and leave them there for 3 or 4 hours. The second day, move them into the morning sun for 5 or 6 hours. On the third day, move your starts into full sun. On the fourth day, leave your plants out for the night. By the morning of the fifth day, they will be acclimated enough to plant in the ground or in containers. When it comes time to plant your starts, it’s best to do so early in the morning or on a cloudy day. For an extra boost, add a handful of worm castings to the planting spot.  Remove the plant from its container and place it in the soil, being careful to plant it at the same depth it was in the seed container, then water thoroughly.

While cool season crops generally don't need protection from spring temperatures, keep some floating row cover handy just in case the weather turns extreme. 

  

Before planting your seeds, starts or crowns, add two to three inches of organic material to your garden bed. This is called amending the soil and it helps rejuvenate depleted soil.  Our high-quality organic soil amendments are produced locally and come bagged for your convenience. For an existing garden, spread two to three inches of organic amendments on the surface of your garden bed and work it in. A single bag of Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost will cover ten square feet, two inches deep.  Include earthworm castings and humate to further enrich your garden soil.  

This is also a good time to add some organic fertilizer. Look for the OMRI seal on the bag. OMRI stands for Organic Material Review Institute. Products with the OMRI seal have gone through rigorous testing to assure the ingredients are organic. Place a small amount of organic fertilizer in the bottom of each row or planting hole. As the seeds sprout, the roots of your new plants can grow into it.  

While you’re at it, plant some cool season color to go along with your vegetables.