Ah, what a lovely time of the year. A hopeful time too. When spring comes along, there is so much joy, so much anticipation for the new season and so much life!
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life (catch the reference?). Spring screams and oozes excitement because everything comes anew again.
We must say, it’s even more exciting for gardeners because of the opportunity to plant everything they want to, according to their heart’s desires (of course only if it’s in season)!
If you have a green thumb yourself, it is time!
Garden Preparations:
- Gather your tools, your rake, your fork, your pitcher, your hose.
Dig deep and make sure your soil is loosened and rid your garden of weeds.
- Gather your manure/compost/fertilizer
To amend the soil, add your fertilizer, your manure and compost to add some nutrients into the soil.
- Take a look at your space and plan well, soon you will learn how each plant benefits from being planted in the correct spot so it can thrive in the best environment.
Draw up a garden plan and plan where to plant your crops. Some will grow well together, others will not, for instance- tomatoes and potatoes are not to be planted together. However, there are crops that thrive together and some help each other out, this in basic terms is called companion planting. Very soon we will get into the types of crops that should be planted together.
So, what to plant:
We are basically just a month into spring. You still have allowance to plant what you want to your heart’s desire and still get a good growth season out of it!
- Squash (butternut squash, Hubbard squash, red kuri squash, kabocha squash- whatever squash you have, plant it now!
- Pumpkins
- Melons
- Tomatoes
- Root vegetables
- Nuts (peanuts, ground nuts)
- Corn
- Sorghum
- Peppers
- Potatoes
- Sweet potato slips
Leafy vegetables (spinach, Swiss chard, lettuce, cabbage)
There is even much more to plant, the list is endless! Well, technically it has an end because every plant has its own seasons…. So, scratch that.
But the main reason why I get excited for spring is because I get to paint my space. I can go from flowers to vegetables, to fruit to trees. So much can be done, but the gag is, you need to have patience for these things. If you have a garden, you must be an optimist!