Everything you need to do for a successful growing season
We are finally in the thick of it: Planting season! Colder weather crops have been in the ground for a few weeks, you’re likely seeing little lettuce sprouts here and there, and you have a glorious two months of planting ahead of you. Is there anything better? Well, maybe harvest season when we can reap the benefits of all of our hard work.
Don’t miss our March garden checklist if you need to play a bit of catch-up.
Indoors
You likely already have tomato and pepper seedlings growing and thriving under grow lights—stay on top of them and transition them to larger pots as needed. Even with our beautifully warm weather that we have had recently, resist the urge to move them outside. The chance of a late frost is still high.
Start okra, squash, cucumber, melon, and watermelon seeds indoors. If they are vining crops (like watermelon), plant them in individual peat pots as they don’t transplant well if the roots are disturbed.
Take this time to draw out any landscaping projects. Are you expanding your garden? Increasing your flower bed space? Jot down your notes and planned dimensions to ensure you don’t overplant.
Outdoors
This is where the fun begins! Scatter any annual flower seeds to create a beautiful flower border around your perennial flowers. If they are really small seeds—like poppies—they don’t need covering.
You can also sow quite a few seeds directly outdoors this month, such as beets, carrots, Swiss chard, kohlrabi, cabbage, lettuce, collards, turnips, radishes, spinach, bunching onions, and peas. For carrots, plant an abundance of seeds and plan to thin as they grow.
Plant any new trees or shrubs by the end of this month—aim to plant native plants when possible!
Cover cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower with row covers to protect them from pests like the cabbage both.
If you planted potatoes in March, you are likely seeing growth. Continue to mound them with fresh soil and compost as needed!
Give your compost pile a good turn or two on warm-weather days. Or, if you haven’t started a compost pile yet, start one—you’ll be cutting back on food waste and doing your soil a favor.
