Spring is always my favourite. The reason is that working in the garden is relatively easy during the spring due to suitable weather. Also, it is the best time in the year to grow every type of veggie. I am confident that you also agree with me.
But gardening in the spring becomes more enjoyable if you initiate the growing process when the winter’s chill starts to fade. In this case, you need to take care of various things carefully, from germination to taking care of the seedlings.
In this article, I reveal my secrets to starting veggies for the spring. By incorporating the given information, you can get a substantial yield with less effort.
Benefits of Starting Veggies for the Spring in Advance
The following are the benefits of starting veggies for the spring in advance, i.e., the end of the winter or the start of the spring.
- If you start the veggies in advance, you get extended season. So, before the end of the spring, you can have two harvests.
- The early start of spring veggies ensures good yield and plant health due to the mild weather.
- Early germination or planting of the seedlings protects the veggies from the late spring frosts and associated temperature fluctuations.
- Staring the germination early for the spring veggies offers you a more significant opportunity to gain more control over the gardening in terms of sunny availability, compost readiness, water management, etc.
- If you go for germination of the spring veggies in advance, you will get the seedlings ready by the due time. This context saves a lot of money as you do not need to purchase seedlings from the market to plant them in due time.
How to Start Planting Veggies for the Spring
Below is my personalized guide to start the spring veggie growing process at the end of the winter or very early in the spring.
Step 01: Decide on Veggie Type
I highly recommend checking the USDA website to get the appropriate alignment between your region’s weather and the suitable veggie type to select the right spring veggie. However, as you are starting early, the climate will be a bit cold.
Considering this, I suggest you go for spring veggies like peas, lettuce, kale, brocollie, spinach, carrot, radish, fennel, leeks, onion, etc.
Step 02: Space Management
It is for sure that you will not plant the same veggie in the whole garden. So, you have to plan for the space distribution early. The decided space allocation for each type of spring veggie will guide you in selecting the seed’s quantity.
Additionally, in the space allocation process, you have to consider which veggie requires more sunny. Then, allocate the right spot for the right vegetable.
Step 03: Soil Preparation
You must understand that social preparation is one of the most crucial tasks to get a substantial yield of spring vegetables. Also, early soil preparation is the foundational requirement in gardening, and compost must be mixed with soil particles effectively.
Most importantly, early soil preparation perfectly ensures the settlement of soil particles. I suggest you incorporate the below-listed approaches in the soil preparation process:
- Apply appropriate layers of mulch to ensure that the soil retains enough moisture.
- Incorporation of organic compost to ensure better soil structure, which can facilitate well-drainage, porosity, and nutrients.
- Testing of each allocated space soil to find out the existing pH level. Then, you have to evaluate the found pH level with the required pH level of the respective veggie. Upon getting the pH test result, you can use wood ash or lime to create the pH if you see the pH is low. On the contrary, you can use elemental sulfur to decrease the pH.
- Finally, if the soil is too loose, compaction is essential. On the other hand, loosening is necessary if the soil is too compacted.
Step 04: Seeding Indoor
Now, collect the seeds of the already selected spring veggies. Select suitable container sizes with adequate drainage facilities depending on the quantity of the seeds.
I encourage you to use bio-degradable containers for germination as per eco-friendly gardening practices. Now, fill the containers with the soil mix and sow the seeds.
Here, it is essential to count the time carefully as the seedlings must come out as per the due date of the spring veggie planning in the garden.
To complete the germination process successfully, consider meeting the below requirements.
- Sow each vegetable seed at the applicable seeding rate.
- Ensure you sow the seeds at the appropriate depth in the container soil.
- Regular watering is needed with careful observation for no water logging.
- The containers need to be placed as per the required solar and temperature.
Step 05: Taking Care of the Seedlings
As soon as the seedlings come out, you have to put increased effort into the caring process. It is essential that you keep the seedlings inside the germination container for 1-2 weeks to ensure the hardening of the seedlings.
In this seedling hardening process, also known as making the seedling capable of adopting the garden’s environment, you place the seedling containers for 1-3 hours per day in an outdoor setting.
Once the seedlings gain enough strength, you carefully select a date for transplantation. Here, you must check the soil bed condition of the earlier created soil. You must free the soil beds from weeds, dirt, debris, etc. Also, do watering regularly.
Step 06: Transplanting Seedlings
So, your spring vegetables’ seedlings are ready to transplant from the containers to the garden soil beds. In the transplantation process, you have to create rows, trenches, etc., as per the veggie criteria.
Now, handpick the seedlings individually and plant them at the appropriate depth and spacing inside the rows or trenches. Once the transplanting work is done, it is time to do the final covering of the roots and bulbs of the veggies.
Just use the soil and gently place it on the base of the transplanted seedlings. Finally, water the soil beds appropriately, ensuring no water logging occurs.
Step 07: After Transplantation Tasks
Once the spring veggie transplantation work is done, it is time to perform the below tasks to ensure good growth and yield.
- Regular watering to keep the soil moist.
- Continuous monitoring is needed to detect any yellow leaves, pest attacks, diseases, etc. If found anything, you need to address the issue promptly.
- You also need to do fertilizing. I encourage you to use organic fertilizers to improve soil health and boost plant growth and yield quality. You can use organic fertilizers like fish emulsion, bone meal, vermicompost, sheep manure, guano, coffee grounds, cottonseed meal, etc.
- Once the seedlings start to gain height, install support structures based on the vegetable types and growth direction.
- You also need to perform pruning to get rid of yellow leaves, diseased foliage, etc., while ensuring better air circulation.
- Finally, you must take proper measures to protect the growing seedlings from pests and diseases.
Final Words
I hope my guide on starting veggies for the spring will help you enormously. By incorporating all the mentioned steps in this article, you will be able to ensure healthy plants and good yields.
However, if you are a beginner at this early start of veggies, I highly recommend that you consult with some local gardeners who are experienced enough. This will help you to avoid any unwanted consequences.
