Early Spring Veggie List: Don't wait for winter to subside - Campo (2023)

time to read: 8 Protocol

The snow is melting and the daytime temperatures are calling outside. The leaf buds swell on the trees and your hands yearn to feel the earth once more. And you're hungry. He wants leafy greens, baby sprouts, something... anything from his garden. Here is a list of spring vegetables to plant now.

birth of a season

For months we fed on the fall harvest. The winter squash ripened bright orange and sat patiently in storage until we cooked it. The sweet, crunchy apples gave us vitamin C to help ward off flu season. Dried beans simmered in slow cookers for hours for hearty, comforting meals.

Mother Nature knows what she's doing. In summer we enjoy rich and nutritious vegetables. Carbohydrate-rich autumn fruits provide the calories needed for hard work and to build a lipid layer that until recently was vital for human survival during the winter. The life cycles of lambs and chickens also correspond to the protein and fat requirements of humans at different times of the year. And as winter engulfs the land and crops no longer grow, we run out of food supplies: grains and beans, long-life squashes, root vegetables, and what we've dehydrated and preserved from our gardens.

Then spring blooms. The first plants that appear on a list of spring vegetables are the healthiest. Sprouting and thriving despite the occasional frost and snowstorm, dandelions and parsley provide the nutrients we've been missing all season. It's a powerful respite after a long, lean winter.

Miraculously, the plants you can grow first on your spring vegetable list are also loaded with the nutrients you need most right now.

workable floor

You can plant and harvest several months before your area's final frost date. And while websites may instruct you to plant onions in January and broccoli in February, this is site-specific. Your own garden may differ.

In case you still don't know yoursplanting area, investigate it. This helps determine when you should start the herbs and when it is finally safe to get tomatoes outside. Along the Pacific coast, temperatures probably haven't dipped below 20 degrees F, so you may be able to start growing radishes after the New Year. The ground in Minnesota can still freeze in March.

Seed packets recommend planting as soon as the soil can be tilled. This prevents dirt from freezing, even when the ambient temperature is still below freezing. Dirt doesn't clump together in wet clumps and refuses to fall off the shovel. It crumbles to the soft touch. The water is not so saturated in the ground that it cannot sink further.

Plant spring crops as soon as possible. Timing is of the essence because many cool-weather plants will turn sour or set seeds if it's too hot. Find the sunniest and warmest place in your garden. If you use containers, placing them in a driveway or against a brick wall can draw in more heat. Plant seeds according to package directions, noting depth and spacing requirements. If you're planting and then a cold snap hits, encourage germination by placing thick, clear plastic or an old glass window over the soil, leaving enough space below for air to circulate.

If the seed packets instruct you to wait until all danger of frost has passed, store them for a few more months.

Spring Vegetable List

Salatgemüse:Early crops include lettuce, arugula, and mesclun mixes. You will succeedgrowing lettuceand green when the soil is 55 degrees Fahrenheit and many can be harvested within 30 days. And while they don't thrive during long cold snaps, they don't die unless temperatures drop below 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

Spinach:Plant in spring soil, harvest within 60 days, and get the most out of that crop before it sprouts. Most spinach can't handle hot summers. Some varieties are grown to last longer, but spinach is best enjoyed while it's still spring.

Asian Greens:Extremely hardy varieties like bok choy and napa cabbage still look stunning when glazed with a thin layer of icing. And as soon as the ice melts, they shine in the sun and continue to grow. Protect them from severe frost, but don't worry if nights still drop to 28-32 degrees F.

Radish:What if the temperatures still drop below 28 degrees F? Your radishes will be fine.grow radishesa smaller variety like Easter Egg will mature in 30 days, while larger, sweeter radishes like Daikon can take 60-90 days. Root crops like radishes prefer to be seeded, planted directly into the soil, rather than starting as seedlings.

Kale:Along with radishes, this tough and nutritious leafy green is one of the toughest cabbages you can grow. It can even thrive in mild snowless winters. Plant early and protect seedlings from severe frost to give them a little boost. Harvest the lower leaves and allow the plant to continue growing in the heat of summer.

onions:Choose long-day onions if you live in the north; Short day varieties if you live in zone 7 or warmer. To harvest earlier, buy onion kits, tiny onions that have been torn, plucked, and dried so you can replant them and keep growing. Onion seeds are useful for growing rare varieties, although this extends the ripening date by several months. Start with seeds inside to encourage germination, then plant the little spikes in the ground after hardening off for a few days. Onions can survive a hard frost and bite through late snow.

Peas:Snow peas are aptly named. They are among the first crops to grow, and seedlings actually do better in hard frost than mature plants. Both mangetout and mangetout can grace your table within 60 days. Sow peas directly for best results.

Turnips and chard:Silverbeet is the name for Swiss chard in Australia and New Zealand because they belong to the same family. And they are extremely nutritious plants that provide edible vegetables and roots that live in cold conditions. Sow directly indoors or out, then thin carefully and replant after seedlings emerge.

carrots:Although they can be planted as soon as the soil can be tilled, carrots prefer slightly warmer temperatures. Gardeners often plant carrots in the second month of spring, after temperatures are higher but still freezing at night. Spread in rows, then thin after seedling emergence. Remember that carrots will only grow as much space as you give them.

in the greenhouse

Many frost intolerant plants do best when grown in a greenhouse several months before the final frost date. Seed catalogs list "days to maturity" between 60 and 95 days, but this count begins after transplanting, around eight weeks of age.

A sunny window is usually not enough for garden vegetables, as they need at least eight hours of direct sunlight. Growing inside a house window can result in pale, leggy and unhealthy seedlings. If you don't have a greenhouse or conservatory, supplement with strong UV light when the sun isn't shining directly on the plants. Place the light very close to the plants, but do not allow the seedlings to come in contact with the hot bulbs.

Always harden off seedlings before planting them outdoors.

Tomatoes:Start your favorite varieties within eight weeks of your last frost date. Healthy tomatoes grow quickly, so be prepared to repot them several times before heading out. The best tomatoes have plenty of room for roots.

Pfeffer:The hottest peppers come from the hottest climates. Give them more time to grow. Start Bhut Jolokia or Habaneros 10 to 12 weeks before your last frost date; Jalapeño or plantain peppers should be started eight weeks in advance. Transplant often enough so that the plants do not become tangled.

Eggplant:Slow and tender at first, then fast growing, eggplants despise the cold. Even 40 degrees F can wilt them. Plant your tomatoes a few weeks early and keep eggplants in the warmest part of your greenhouse for best results.

Herbs:The most commonly used herbs are surprisingly frost tolerant. Perennials like oregano and thyme will sprout again soon after the soil warms. The hardiest rosemary can survive the winter. However, the basil will turn black and die before temperatures reach freezing. Start with herbs indoors to encourage germination. Harden off all plants, especially those purchased from a greenhouse, and place them outdoors permanently.

sweet potatoes:Seed companies sell sweet potatoes as cuttings: small green shoots just beginning to form roots. They also ship sweet potatoes in April, which may or may not be warm enough to come out. Sweet potatoes need heat to survive. But you can start your own panties by buying organic yam at a supermarket, planting it in moist soil, or semi-submerging it in water and storing it in a greenhouse. It can take a few months before decent cuttings emerge from a supermarket tuber. Once the sprouts have formed, carefully remove them and insert them halfway into moist, fertile soil so they can take root.

Although squash, beans, and corn are sold in greenhouses as starters and seedlings, they do best when sown directly in your garden. Root damage and transplant shock can stun the plant. Directly sown seeds sprout and thrive where they were intended.

Whether you love crunchy snow pea salads or want to add fresh greens to warm, comforting soups, your early-year garden can provide the right choice of seeds and location.

hardening

Greenhouse plants have been spoiled all their lives. Kept warm, with high humidity and moist soil, they have not even experienced direct sunlight. Always ask your local nursery if the plants have hardened off; most likely they don't have it. Employees at corporate garden centers may not even know what "hardy" means.

To harden off plants growing in your greenhouse or other greenhouses, place them in unfiltered sunlight for one hour, or outdoors for two hours on a cloudy day. Don't forget them or they will get sunburned! The next day, double the time you spend outside. Double again the next day. If your plants can survive eight hours of full sun without damage and a cool night without wilting, they are ready for permanent garden living.

Transplant at night to avoid shock. Heat and strong sunlight take a toll on a plant and now they need to recover as the roots take hold. Dig a hole in your garden soil and fill it with water. Transplant, fill in the soil around the plant, cover with mulch and water again. Let the plant enjoy a balmy, cool night before the sun comes out in force again.

What about the potatoes?

You will hear conflicting advice about potatoes. Although some gardeners plant them in early spring, potatoes are a nightshade family. The green tips do not support any frost. If they emerge, they will have to endure a cold snap, the tips will die back, which will stunt the development of the tubers. Potatoes mature within 90 to 120 days, giving them plenty of time during most growing seasons. If your season is shorter than most, plant potatoes early, but mulch tender new leaves and provide frost protection when temperatures drop.

Saison-Extender

Cold frames, hoop houses, water walls, and frost blankets are ways to extend the season and plant your plants earlier. Even cool-weather vegetables benefit from a little extra heat.

Cold frames combine rigid sides with a glass or plastic top that sits directly on the ground to add warmth and light all season long. These can be permanent structures made of old wood and windows, or makeshift enclosures made of straw bales with heavy plastic stapled together. Hoop houses can be as simple as PVC pipe or an arched cattle slab on a raised bed and covered with plastic. If you don't have the space or finances for either, purchase a frost blanket at a local garden center or online store. Hang it above the plants for better protection, as frost can penetrate the material directly on the leaves. The frost blanket still lets in at least 80% of sunlight, so there's no need to remove it on cold days. But it does filter light, so plants grown fully under frost protection will need to be gradually exposed to full sunlight before the protection breaks down.

Originally published on Countryside March/April 2017.