Early Spring Vegetable Gardening

 

Early spring combines the reality of getting back into the garden with cool season vegetables like peas, radishes and lettuce. These crops thrive in the cooler temperatures of early spring and even like having some frost that can go along with it.

1. Peas

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     Whether you're planting garden peas, snow peas or snap peas, early spring is the right time to get these seeds in the ground. The time to plant is as early as possible depending on when the soil is loose enough to be worked. Soak pea seeds overnight to soften their hard exterior and aid germination.

   Radishes

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     Radishes should be a part of your early spring garden. Like peas, radish seeds can be planted as soon as the soil can be worked and certainly not later than late March or early April. Since most varieties mature in just 20 to 30 days, you can do repeat plantings of seed every seven days or so. By late spring, radish plants bolt due to higher temperatures.

   Lettuce

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     Lettuce is a mainstay in salads and can be planted in early spring for fresh leaves any time you want them. More than one variety may be planted at a time. Lettuce is heat sensitive and will bolt by early summer.

Posted in: Growing Vegetables