Growing a Garden

The days are getting longer and warmer, which can only mean one thing...Spring is coming! That also means that it is time to start preparing the garden so it is ready to plant in the next month or so.

This year I am going to plant two additional vegetables that I have not planted in the past: onions and potatoes. The long-time farmers/gardeners will tell you that you need to get your potatoes planted on or around St. Patrick's Day, which means I need to get planning!

First, decide what you are going to plant. The internet has a wealth of information regarding what vegetables grow well in what areas and when they should be planted. I recommend plotting out where you are going to plant each vegetable based on the space you have and then figure out how much seed you will need. You don't want to buy too much seed; however, if you do, you can use the seeds the following year. There are proper ways to store the seeds, but I just left mine in the garage. I just finished doing a germination test (place the seeds in wet paper towels in ziploc bags and see if they sprout) and most of my seeds still have over an 80% germination rate.

Secondly, you will want to prepare your soil. My mom has the extension office send someone out to do a soil test every year or so and then she adds whatever it is they recommend. I have never done this. The only preparation I do is to till the garden (actually, my wonderful husbnd tills the garden for me) once the soil dries out enough.

You will want to plant your seeds according to the variety of vegetables you have. Like I mentioned previoulsy, potatoes get planted in the middle of March, while the rest of your garden might not need to be planted until the middle or end of April.

Happy gardening!