This is my 11th year of vegetable gardening! 🤯 How in the world has time passed so quickly!? When I started there were not as many wonderful, easily found guides or videos available on the internet. So I went through a LOT of trial and error. I wish someone had shared with me what I'm going to share with you in the next few months. I hope that it helps!
**I will be coming out with a Seed Starting video soon! I'll explain my process from choosing what seed varieties to get, growing indoors, potting up, and transitioning to outside. 🤩 Stay tuned!**
Here is a picture of Charlie 🐕🌈 in my first garden in Arizona in 2013.
When Does Spring Gardening Start? 🌱
Ah, the age-old question. When exactly does spring gardening begin? Well, the truth is, it depends on where you live. I have had so many people shocked when I started my seeds indoors in January and think it was way too early. And while it is absolutely NOT necessary to start in January, especially if you are buying your plants from a nursery, it is also not too late to start now in April!
In fact, your local nursery can be a great indicator of when you should start the outdoor activity in your spring garden. When the store shelves are full of veggie plants that can survive outside overnight, you're probably about to hit the gardening sweet spot, which for most of us, is around late March-May. If you go in and tender plants look droopy and frost-damaged, it is probably too early to get things into the ground without frost protection. Keep an eye on your local climate and weather forecasts. Once the threat of frost has passed and the soil starts to warm up, it's game on for gardening.
If you live in the US, you can use this nifty, free tool to find your gardening zone and a planting guide by entering your zip code: https://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar And check out your local agricultural extension office for tons of information specific to your area. Here is a snip from a 56 page free gardening guide from mine:
Spring Gardening for Beginners 🧤
Don't let the picture-perfect influencers and professional flower farms on Instagram dissuade you from getting started. Whether you have a sprawling backyard or maybe just a few patio pots, gardening can be for everyone. You would be shocked at just what you can grow in containers. Everything from flowers (duh) to tomatoes, strawberries, potatoes, and carrots!
Starting small with easy-to-grow plants like radishes, beans, peas, basil, or salad greens. Radishes are very quick to sprout, grow, and mature, so they are a great first veggie. All of these varieties are pretty forgiving and will give you a confidence boost as you watch them thrive under your care, and help you to save money at the grocery store!
You'll find lots of lists that say tomatoes are easy to grow. Well, let me tell you. I have not found that to be the case. I started gardening in Arizona (zone 9b/10a) and I could not get tomatoes to thrive for any effort I put into them. Then I moved to Kentucky (zone 6b/7a) and found them starting to do well, but the large heirloom varieties took so long to mature, that the plants only gave me a few tomatoes. I was a bit disheartened. Then I found that cherry and grape tomatoes mature and ripen much quicker and I was on the right track for me. I was finally able to experiment with feeding them and figure out what pest and disease problems and solutions worked here. So... don't let someone tell you something is easy and discourage you when it doesn't instantly work for you.
You may also look into local gardening classes offered by your nursery, hardware store, "master gardeners", or agricultural extension office. A local gardener either in person or online can help with things that are specific to your area, such as climate, soil, and pests to be on the lookout for. Gardening is a never-ending trial and error experiment and there is so much to learn! Don't be afraid to just get started!
Spring Gardening To-Do List 🪴
Here's your spring gardening to-do list:
- Clean Up: Start by tidying up your garden beds and removing any debris that has accumulated over the winter months. But remember to wait until it is a little warmer outside so that the bugs and pollinators that have used those leaves to stay safe and warm over the winter don't freeze when you displace them! By now dandelions are popping up with their cheery yellow flowers. Not everyone loves having them in their lawn. 😅 But please don't spray them with pesticides. Our bees and other pollinators use these early flowers for food. Pinching off flowers or pouring boiling water on them are good natural alternatives that won't hurt the bees. (boiling water will hurt your grass, so if you use it in your yard, be judicious in where you use it!)
- Prep Your Soil: Healthy soil is the foundation of a successful garden. Soil testing kits are pretty cheap and easy to use and can give you a good indication of your garden's readiness to plant. You may want to add some compost or organic matter to nourish your plants and improve drainage. If you are starting a new bed from scratch, take the time to remove allllll grass and weeds from the area that you want to use. Future you will thank you when you have fewer weeds to keep up with. (I've definitely learned this the hard way 😭)
- Mulch: If you have perennials, it is time to give them some extra love. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, grapes, asparagus, and flowering bushes and bulbs can benefit from the moisture retention and weed suppression offered by a layer of mulch. Bare areas in your freshened garden are also prime places for floating weed seeds to take root, so a layer of straw WITHOUT SEED can preserve all of your prep efforts.
- Plan and Plant: Now comes the fun part! I start planning my garden in January and it helps to keep me sane in those dark and grey months. Whether you're sowing seeds or transplanting seedlings, take the time to find out when the best time to plant each variety is and how much space they will need. That link above can help! Also check the seed packet for lots of valuable information on soil temperature, germination time, and spacing. If you're feeling next-level, look into companion planting. Consider factors like sunlight, spacing needs, crop rotation, water access, and plant compatibility to make the most of your space.
- Water and Feed: Keep a close eye on your plants and water them regularly, especially during dry spells. Some plants are "heavy feeders" and really need the addition of a balanced fertilizer to give them the nutrients they need to thrive. Feeding is probably a later spring activity, but good to be prepared!
- Stay Vigilant: Keep an eye out for pests, weeds, and diseases, and nip any problems in the bud before they get out of hand.
Spring Gardening Tips 🌿
And finally, here are a few bonus tips to help you make the most of your spring gardening experience:
- Go Native: Consider planting native flower species as companions to the veggies in your garden. Not only are they beautiful and well adapted to your local climate and soil conditions, but they also provide valuable habitat for pollinators, who will help you to get the best yields for your hard work. Pollinator video coming soon!
- Practice Patience: Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a garden. Especially if you are starting from seed. Some plants can take up to two weeks just to sprout! Be patient with yourself and your plants, and remember that gardening is a journey, not a destination.
- Embrace Failure: Not every plant will thrive, and that's okay! Learn from your mistakes, adjust your approach, and don't be afraid to try again. I like to grow backups of my seedlings just in case!
- Get Creative: Don't be afraid to think outside the box and get creative with your gardening endeavors. Whether it's repurposing household items as planters or experimenting with new techniques, let your imagination run wild. When I first started gardening, I used a bed frame as my garden bed and it brought me so much cheesy joy.
"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow."
-Audrey Hepburn
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Physical and Mental Benefits ☺️
While most of us aren't enjoying our fresh veggies quite yet, there are still a ton of physical benefits that we gain from gardening.
- Mindfulness: stepping away from our phones and being present in the moment.
- Exercise: Especially if you are doing digging or hauling mulch and dirt, gardening is a truly functional full-body workout. It is the "why" behind the time I spend in the gym and on the mat, the freedom to move in "real life" activities.
- Vitamin D: I've seen several estimates that up to 90% of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D 🤯 Even if that number is double, that still means that you might benefit from a little extra dose of sunshine!
There are so many more tips and benefits that I have to share, but this is starting to get long, so sign up for updates and I'll be sharing more in-depth on many of these topics soon!
Whether you're a seasoned pro or a just dipping your toes in, there's something magical about getting your hands dirty and watching your garden come to life. So grab your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let's make this spring the greenest one yet! 🌱✨
Are you gardening this year? I'd love to know what you are most looking forward to growing! Leave a comment below!
So there you have it, folks – your ultimate guide to spring gardening.
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