by K Lochery

Created on: February 10, 2009   Last Updated: February 13, 2009

Early Spring is a time when many of us get excited, as the Sun is starting to come out to play, the flowers are starting to show their pretty heads and life generally gets better with rain, snow and general bad weather starting to look like a distant memory. With the joys of spring come the joys of gardening and it is this period of time that many vegetables are perfect for planting. However, with this comes the need for preparation and these hints and tips should guide you on your way!

The cool temperatures of spring mean that vegetables such as peas, lettuces and cabbages grow really well. Preparation for early spring vegetable planting will need you to work out which vegetables you can actually plant at this time of year alongside the ones mentioned. Onions and other such vegetables require a longer growing season than others so to plant in early spring would mean better crops later on the year.

The vegetables that you should think about planting in early spring are radishes, onions, cabbages and lettuces. Radishes especially love the cool temperatures of this time of year, so planting in mid to late March is a great idea for the best crop. The same applies to cabbages, broccoli and cauliflower, which love the cool temperatures but do not bode well if the temperature drops below 50F for long periods of time, so later in April is the best time for planting these.

The earlier in spring that you plant vegetables such as lettuce, kale and spinach, the better, as the warmer temperature will lead to a much more bitter taste and the same applies to peas as well.

Longer growers such as onions and carrots need to be planted earlier on in the year to manage to fit in a fairly decent crop before winter sets in, so the later you leave planting these delicious vegetables, the less likely you are to get a nice yield from them. This also applies to potatoes, which are fairly easy to grow, but again, need a longer growing time than other vegetables.

The best way to prepare yourself for the vegetable growing season in early spring is to start working the ground as soon as it is soft enough to do so. Get rid of the weeds that may be starting to rear their ugly heads and make sure that the soil is good enough to work with, removing any small stones and other such objects that will prevent you from growing anything. It is a good idea to chuck some fertilizer down as well to give your soil a head start when it comes to plating your vegetables.

Once you have worked your soil for a bit, which should be in early to mid March, it is time to start sorting out your vegetables. Potatoes and onions should be planted first, around mid to late March to give them enough time to grow and provide a wonderful and full crop by the end of August. Once done with these, you can then concentrate on other such vegetables as peas and cabbages, as well as lettuces and carrots which need the cool weather to flourish. You should ideally be planting these as soon as the weather picks up a little bit and the soil is soft enough to work with, as they can wither and wilt if the temperature drops too low.

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