6 Tips to Get You Gardening

This time of year I get really excited about spring coming, and although my to do list doubles daily--it's still an exciting time of year. One of my favorite things is gardening! Here's a quick run down of how to prepare for your soon-to-be garden! 

#1 Plan out your garden- I'm a lister, (and after 3 kids it's the only way I can remember anything anyway) so it's a good thing I like to do it. Take some time to plan out your garden on paper. This will save you time and money when you get ready to set out your plants. Make a list of what you would like to grow, and determine how much room you have to work with. Configure your row spacing, length, and plant spacing. Your rows should be far enough apart so when the plants grow larger, you can still till between the rows if you use a tiller.  I found this chart on Gardening Know How for a guide on plant spacing. Also consider companion planting and crop rotation.  By planning out what you want to plant you can decide how much seed to order, how many plants to buy, and if it's more effective to start your own plants or just buy them ready to set out!

#2 Order your seed- This is my favorite part! I sometimes have trouble picking because I want them all! If you do proper planing though it will make it so much easier to only buy what you need. I order my seed from Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE for short). SESE has a good selection of heat and drought-tolerant plants that we need in our area. Also, Baker Creek has a BEAUTIFUL catalog! And Tomato Growers has a good selection of hybrids if you prefer those varieties. I order from them all! (I have a seed addiction, admitting it is the first step right?)

next years fertilizer

#3 Prepare your soil- While your waiting on the seed to arrive you can prepare your soil. The best thing you can do is take some soil samples which we did through our local extension office. It's not hard and it only cost $7 per sample for us. It takes a few weeks to get your results back, but you will get a detailed list of what you need to apply to your soil. The general rule is to apply your lime in the fall, because it takes time to react with the soil. It's a more complex process than I can get into here but if your soil has a balanced pH then it will absorb the fertilizer better. Don't worry though: you can still apply your lime! It might just take time before you see the results. I don't use a lot of commercial fertilizers in my garden because we have an awesome supply of natural fertilizers here. Just be sure when using compost you've given it plenty of time to cycle so it doesn't burn up your plants.


#4 Start some seeds- Different areas will need to start seeds at different times. Find out when the average last frost date in your zone is by using this usda zone finder. Most seed packs will tell you when to start your seed, and some will tell you to start weeks before the last frost date. Check out my post on Starting Seed  for more in-depth details about successfully starting seeds.

#5 Weed Control- This is always the biggest failure for me. I let weeds overtake my garden before I get to enjoy the first tomato! This year I'm going to fight those weeds with a better mulching system. I plan on using wheat straw to mulch around all my plants--and do not use just any hay or you will deposit seeds from the hay for next years garden! (personal experience!!) I'm also experimenting with flame weeding and sterilizing seed beds with plastic. If you would like, you can treat your dirt with products like Premerge. I haven't used these products but it sure is tempting sometimes. Whatever you do, if you can take some time now to combat weeds you will be thankful later!

#6 Set out your plants- Now the fun part! Put some plants out! This time of year I'm already getting cooler crops out. I like to direct sow my root crops--like carrots, beets, radishes, ect. Lettuce, broccoli, and cabbage are plants that I generally start and then transplant. Check out this article and date calculator for when to plant. I've already started my peppers and tomatoes in the greenhouse, too!

Hope you enjoy these 6 quick tips on getting your garden going this spring!