Spring Vegetable Planting Season is Upon Us

Even though temperatures have been dipping below freezing all week -- and I woke up this morning with snow on my roof -- the fact that Valentine's Day was yesterday triggers that it's time to get those spring vegetable seeds in the ground.

I've purchaced my seed packets, and I'll be spending the weekend digging in the dirt. 

Below is a list of the varieties of vegetables that I've personally had very good luck with this time of year:

• Lettuces: arugula, romaine, spinach
• Root vegetables: carrots, beets, turnips, radishes
• Greens:  kale, collards, swiss chard, mustard
• Broccoli and cauliflower
• Cabbage
• Peas (sugar and snap)
• Herbs: cilantro and dill are successful cool season herbs as they do not like the heat of the summer. 

And, every season, I like to experiment and try a couple of vegetables that are new to me.  This season I'm planting bok choy and fennel from seed, both vegetables have a green, crunchy texture.  And although they have very different tastes, when getting either in my CSA box, I use them like celery. 

Even if you don't have a garden, one cool season crop that is easy to grow in containers are potatoes.  Potatoes aren't particularly picky, and as long as the soil is loose, they can grow in a wide variety of containers.

If something you've tried is not on this list, please let me know in the comment section below.  I'd love to hear about what works for you.

Potatoes can be successfully grown in the following containers:

• Burlap bags
• Old tires
• Garbage cans
• Trash bags or other old bags
• Cardboard box
• Fabric bunched up (I'm trying this with an old pillow case to see how it works)
• Compost piles (I've grown potatoes in a pile of straw, leaves, and dirt)

One note about growing in plastic containers- potatoes need a sunny spot in order to thrive, and plastic containers do have the potential to leach chemicals.  Use your best judgement when selecting a container.   

Once you’ve chosen your container, follow these simple steps:

• Fill your container or bag with four to six inches of good quality compost.
• Place your seed potatoes onto the top of the compost, so the sprouts or eyes are pointing upwards. Space them sparingly - for a twelve inch diameter container, only use a maximum of three.
• Cover the tubers with another four to five inches of compost, and water sparingly.
• From here on, keep the soil continuously moist but never wet. 
• If you are using a flexible bag as a container, it would be a good idea to roll down the sides, to help the sunlight reach the plant foliage as they grow.
• As the plants appear and grow taller, continue "earthing up" by adding more soil so that only the top inch or so of the plant is peeking through the soil. The new potatoes will form in an upwards and outward direction from the original planted seed potato, so continue "earthing up".

And keep in mind, although it's certainly tempting, especially on days when the thermometer reads 70, that it's far too early to plant summer crops like tomatoes, peppers and beans.  Wait until Tax Day (April 15th).