With the cold winter temperatures declining, it’s time to prepare the gardens for spring vegetables. People with vegetable gardens need to know the right time to start their spring gardening to make sure the crops grow up successfully. Here are some gardening tips to get your spring veggies off to a good start.
Some Good Vegetable Choices for Spring Planting
For spring gardening to become successful, it’s important to know the right vegetables to plant during this time of the year. For beginners to gardening, here is a list of the best vegetables for spring gardening.
- Asparagus
Since this is categorized as a perennial crop, most gardeners prefer to use it for creating hedges or borders in the gardens. During early spring, the shoots are picked as young spears. In late spring, the foliage has completely matured, and by fall it has changed into a golden color. Asparagus is mostly green in color but there are purple and white varieties as well.
For the best results, it’s important to plant asparagus when there is full sun. Otherwise the spears will become weak and the plant will fail to survive altogether. The expected time for harvest is usually between late spring and early summer but it all depends on the climate or weather during these seasons. When the plants are young, it’s important to water regularly. Maturation might take about 3 years before harvesting takes place.
- Lettuce
Over the past few years, lettuce gardening has become quite popular because of the following reasons:
- The taste of the varieties at the local food mart or grocery stores cannot compare to the home-grown lettuce varieties such as romain, butterleaf, and red leaf varieties.
- They are easy to grow even for beginners
- Lettuce contains many minerals, fibers and vitamins and are a perfect addition to any diet
Lettuce can be grown successfully during spring or fall. The perfect temperature for germination is 70 degrees as the seeds use light for germination. Before the seedlings become too large, they should be placed out to allow proper germination of the crop.
It’s important to use manure or compost to feed the lettuce properly. Also, regular watering is important since lettuce have shallow roots. To prevent slugs or any other pests from causing damage, avoid using mulch or keeping the area damp for long periods.
They can also be planted in containers or as borders depending on the gardener’s preference. When the plant starts becoming decadent, you may still have time to plant another crop depending on the weather in your region.
- Other Spring Vegetables
Besides asparagus and lettuce other great spring vegetables to try are peas, rhubarb, spinach, beets, cucumbers etc. Each vegetable requires special maintenance and care for the best harvest. However, it all boils down to frequent watering and composting for the best results.
