Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Mid-March in the Garden :: To Do's

A few things to get a bit of a head start on your spring garden . . .

1. Treat yourself and your garden to some nice compost. Work this into the soil before you start planting. Like, now. Then your beds will be at the ready once the threat of the last frost passes and you can start getting your annuals and perennials in the ground. Not sure about where to get compost? Try Panorama Paydirt.

2. Think ahead of your peas. Offer them a structure to scramble up. It can be twine or chicken wire or a bamboo teepee. Something simple. If you have a handyman at the ready, check out Corey's pea trellis.

3. Veggies that can be transplanted to the garden right now: cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, onions (multiplier) and some leaf lettuces. You can find starts of these at the farmers' market and local nurseries. (I saw some nice ones at Ivy Nursery last week - $1.95 for a four cell pack.)

4. You can start the following by direct sowing of seeds right now: beets, kale, leaf lettuce, mustards, onions, peas, rutabaga, spinach, turnips.

5. Container growing your veggies? Lettuces will thrive - even in a shallow container. Give it a shot. It is super easy and very rewarding.

Too soggy to get out in the garden just yet? I'll be celebrating St. Patrick's Day in my own way - by baking (and devouring) some of my grandma's irish soda bread. Smothered with blackberry jam. Giving myself sustenance for the gardening tasks that lie ahead.

1 comment:

Libby said...

See, you read my mind. I'm reading this thinking, "It's too soggy for gardening!" :) thanks for the reminders!