Spring is a good time to (start and) finish your seed order. I recommend researching seed suppliers that are regional and smaller in scale. Not only is corporate agriculture a toxic business, but so are many large-scale seed suppliers. So GO LOCAL! Look online, or go to your local nursery to find varieties that are best suited for your region.
I would recommend purchasing all the seeds you are going to need for the year now. This means planning out the space you have, the crops that are important, and the length of the year you are planning to garden. If you live in a temperate climate you may want to consider purchasing the seeds you will need for your fall crops.
Compost
Now is also the time to check in with your compost pile. Outside beds will need to be prepped this month, and it is important that the compost be ready to go. If your compost has been wet and uncovered all winter or, if you have been adding new kitchen scraps to the same compost pile all winter, I would recommend giving your pile a good turn, and securing a tarp over the pile for one month or until you are ready to spread it. Also start a new pile for your new kitchen scraps so that this one can fully decompose. Compost is the most important thing I grow in my garden. It is the secret to succulent crops, balanced pH, and a healthy soil ecosystem
To prepare a greenhouse I always begin with a deep weed. Inevitably you will weed a hundred more times this season, but if you are able to dig up noxious root systems now, then this will decrease the amount of weeds and work you will have later on.
Greenhouse Preparation
If you have a green house, you must be itching to grow! I have already prepped mine, and started planting. If you are coastal temperate, you can do the same, and if you are in a bit colder climate, you may want to prepare your greenhouse for planting, and then plant as soon as the light and ambient air temperature in your greenhouse is warm enough for germination. All seeds have temperature requirements for germination. When your greenhouse can hold a steady temperature, you can begin planting.
To prepare a greenhouse I always begin with a deep weed. Inevitably you will weed a hundred more times this season, but if you are able to dig up noxious root systems now, then this will decrease the amount of weeds you will have later on. After the weeding is complete, I spread compost on all the beds. Some people may add organic soil amendments. These can include “meals” such as flax, soy or alfalfa. These amendments have high nitrogen content and may give plants the boost they need to get going this time of year. Some small farms use other amendments to stimulate plant growth. On a production scale I think this is an important part of a farm system. But at a home garden you need to decide for yourself whether fertilization is necessary, or whether the nutrients your garden supplies is equivalent to the fertility needs of your garden, and the yield that it provides.
After I have weeded and composted, I flip my beds. You can do this with a roto-tiller, broad- fork, pitch-fork or shovel. The point is to move the nutrients around. The compost has organic matter and the soil beneath has important minerals and elements. They all need to be mixed up, for a healthy combination. Then I rake the beds so they are as even as possible which affects the depth of seed planting, and in turn the rate of germination.
Plants that I direct seed into my garden at this time of year include spinach, mustard greens, kale, salad greens, arugula, radishes, beets, carrots and peas.
Direct Seeding
Plants that I direct seed into my garden at this time of year include spinach, mustard greens, kale, salad greens, arugula, radishes, beets, carrots and peas. The greens are all planted in a cut-and come again style, which means they are seeded thickly and harvested regularly by the plant at its base. I will harvest a third of the planting a week, so I always ensure a continual harvest.
I direct seed the carrots, beets and radishes in rows, and cover them with remay or cloth for better germination. The covering keeps in the humidity, as well as warms the soil temperature a few degrees. I like to use a row seeder, which is a great hand machine for even sowing. On a smaller scale, make sure your beds are evenly raked to ensure consistent germination. It is also a good time to set up your pea trellis. Peas can go in when the soil is no longer soggy. It is good to cover and secure them with remay (a garden covering), because rodents tend to dig them up and eat the germinated peas. I would suggest sowing down the row every two weeks, until the end of April. This will give you a longer harvest season with the peas; instead of having all of them come at once.
Indoor Sowing
If you have a warm lighted indoor space, that gets overhead light for over 8-12 hours a day, like a warm south facing bay window, glasshouse, greenhouse or grow lights, then you can also start your warm season vegetables such as alliums, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and long season flowers. I start them under fluorescent grow lights in my living room, and them move them into a greenhouse, once they are established, and potted up. If you don’t have the proper set up, I would suggest purchasing these starts from a local grower at planting time. Make sure they use organic methods, have started the seeds themselves and use local seeds. This will ensure the correct variety of plant for your bioregion. Which, in turn, will give you the best yields and be the most disease resistant to your common fungus and bacteria. Right Plant, Right Place, Right Time, ensures the best health and satisfaction for all gardens.
Check back for more Spring planting information.
Rebecca Bloch is an organic farmer living on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
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