Spring Preparations: Keeping an itchy thumb busy!

Tomorrow (3/31) will mark 6 weeks until the average last killing frost for my area (May 12).  Over the last several weeks I have started broccoli, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and some flowers indoors in preparation for planting day which I hope will be sometime the week following May 12.  :)

We have had an exceptionally warm spring this year and many gardeners are finding it hard hold back from planting both flower & veggie gardens.  If your green thumb is getting itchy maybe this is the year to try your hand at starting your own bedding plants.  Starting plants is not difficult and does not have to be expensive.  Most bedding plants should be started 6-8 weeks prior to being transplanted into an outdoor garden so the timing is still good! :D  In fact, many older gardeners will tell you to not plant your garden until Memorial Day weekend if you want to avoid frost and I have planted into mid-June in the past and had a good harvest.  Using Memorial Day as planting day would put us 8 weeks out.  Perfect!  Check out my seed starting show and tell to get you started.

If you insist on spending some time in your garden this weekend, consider one or more of these ideas...

1) Collect a soil sample so that you can analyze for nutrient deficiencies. 

2) Trim trees & shrubs (do not trim lilac or any other fall set flowering shrubs/trees).

3) Scatter flower seeds & gently hand cultivate the surface in informal flower beds so that plants can start as soon as the soil is ready.

4) Plant spinach, kohlrabi, kale, radishes, potatoes, onion sets, radishes, turnips. (Do NOT till your garden if it is wet, esp if your soil has a high clay content!  You will make a mess of your soil!)

5) Start a compost pile.

Have a great spring weekend!  Come back Monday and let me know what you did over the weekend.  Happy Gardening! :)