Even though we only just survived a near snowpocalypse in April, I’ve been aching to start gardening. I’m a newbie and had it in my mind that I could just slap some basil in a pot and put it on the deck this week. I learned quickly that there’s some protocol you have to follow when gardening in the early spring. Thanks to Dill’s Greenhouse, I get to share some veggie gardening tips and ideas to get you started, including this awesome list of what vegetables to plant, when to plant them, and other specifics.
First off, you’ll have to figure out how you’re going to start your vegetable garden.
One option is to buy seeds and sow them yourselves. This can be done indoors or outdoors. The reason so many people start their seeds indoors is because you get a jump start on the growing season, and they’re typically easier to grow that way. The most popular times to start sowing indoors is February and March. All you do is get a seed starter kit with your seeds, soil, some containers, and some glass/plastic to cover them. Essentially you’re creating your own little greenhouse. Then you’d just follow the instructions for your specific vegetables on the seed packet.
The better option this time of year is buying a starter plant/seedling. These are plants that have already started growing and just need put in the ground, which is more of my style when it comes to gardening anyway! Again, just follow the specific planting instructions that come with your seedling.
There are a couple anomalies when it comes to seeds and starter plants, and those are onion sets and seed potatoes. When you want to grow onions or potatoes and are looking for a starter, they come a little differently. Good news is you can plant those right away, even in March, since they’re heartier than the other vegetables.
Here’s a list of some of the things you can get as seedlings/starter plants and put in the ground now (note that you may want to consider covering them up if you hear that it’s going to frost* overnight):
- Lettuce
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Cabbage
- Swiss Chard
Other vegetable seedlings/starter plants that you buy that aren’t considered “cold weather crops” should be planted after the last frost*.
Here’s a list of the types of veggie seeds you can start sowing outdoors:
- Carrots
- Lettuce
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Peas
- Turnips
- Beets
- Rutabagas
- Radishes
Normally you’d start sowing the following vegetables indoors in Feb/March, but if you’re really still wanting to try indoor growing, you can try planting these inside:
- Summer squash
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Herbs (even though they’re not technically veggies)
It’s a shame we have to wait to put herbs outdoors, because they’re my favorite! I often cut off fresh basil, oregano, parsley, etc. to use while cooking. Next week I’ll show you a cute twist on flower pots that I’ll be using to start my herbs indoors (even though I’m late in the game) cialisfromuk.com.
*When planting non-cold-crop seedlings/starter plants outdoors, you’ll want to wait to plant until after the last frost. Knowing Ohio, this could fluctuate at any moment! It’s safe to wait until after Mother’s Day to get the best results.
Also, here are some awesome tips on how to make your vegetable garden look like a work of art. Just because it’s practical doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty!
