Spring is coming, and with it the season for gardening. If we want to enjoy a summer of crops, we must get down to preparing the ground and sowing plants now. In the spring months, when temperatures are getting higher and their fluctuations are not so great, you can start growing plants without the risk that sudden frost or snow will destroy them. Find out when is the best time to start seeding your garden.
You can start sowing plants that are to become seedlings as early as winter. Especially warm-season vegetables should not be sown into the ground right away. Vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers should first be sown into containers and only then should the seedlings be put into the ground when temperatures are high enough. The containers into which you sow the seeds must be relatively shallow and have efficient water drainage. Water that sits in the soil will rot the seeds or seedlings and all our efforts will be wasted. Also, expanded clay will not work because there should not be so much soil. It is necessary to have a box with an openwork bottom through which excess water will drain away efficiently
>> See also: What plants should be sown in February?
When the seedlings have grown a little, i.e. developed at least three leaves, they should be quilted – transplanted to individual small pots. Pots for quilting seedlings also need to have a hole in the bottom for water to drain through. Peat pots or small pots from the garden store are suitable for this. Yogurt cups or egg cartons with holes in the bottom also work well. Seedlings in peat pots or egg cartons can be put into the ground together with the container, but the plastic pots or cups must be removed before putting the seedling into the ground.
Not all plants need to be sown into containers indoors. Many kinds of vegetables can be sown directly into the ground, but you have to wait until spring is well established. Then the ground is warmed up and the sun pampers us and the germinating plants with bright light and pleasant warmth. Plants such as peas, onions, spinach, radishes and leeks can be sown as early as March. They are tolerant of cold and changing temperatures. In March/April you can sow Brussels sprouts and turnips, and in April/May kale, beets, swedes, broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus. The warmer the month, the more vegetables you can sow in it. The season for seeding, however, you must exercise your judgment. If the temperatures in March are still near freezing at night or sometimes negative, the plants won’t come up and it’s better to wait for warmer days. But keep an eye on the sowing calendar because if you miss the time to sow particular plants, your attempts may be unsuccessful despite your efforts
Whether your seedlings are grown in containers at home or in the ground, once sown in the garden, they need special care and attention to grow into delicious vegetables. First of all, the soil in which the seeds are placed should be moist all the time, but not wet. Overwatering the seedlings will not help them grow any faster, but will make them rot and nothing will come of it. In addition, they should have as much sun as possible, while taking care that its rays do not scorch the delicate leaves of the emerging plants
>> Read also: Spring in the garden – schedule
Working in the garden and managing your own home vegetable garden, especially harvesting the produce from it, can be a source of great satisfaction. It’s also a great way to get bored because gardening is an incredibly engaging activity. You literally only need a few square metres of garden space to start a vegetable garden and enjoy your own home-grown produce. Spring is the perfect time to start sowing, so if you want to harvest delicious, fresh and organic vegetables this summer, don’t wait and rush to the garden store for seeds!
