garden radishes

Time to Prep Garden Beds

Thinking about growing a vegetable garden this summer? That’s great! We’re here to help! Nothing compares to the flavor of a fresh tomato, plucked straight from the vine and still warm from the sun. Here’s a guide to get you started:

Choose Your Garden Site

Most vegetables thrive in full sun, so pick a spot that gets at least 8 hours of sun a day. If you must plant in a spot with a bit less sun, go ahead and try it. Many veggies will still produce, just not quite as much or as early. Leafy greens are especially good candidates for sites with less sun. 

Avoid spots that have poor drainage- standing water and constantly soggy soil encourage rot and disease. Consider your water source and place the garden  with a hose nearby so that it’s easy to keep plants hydrated at the height of summer.

Prep Garden Beds

Thoroughly weed and remove grass from the planting area. This is your chance to get to the weeds before they get you! You’ll still have to weed throughout the season, but a clean spring bed saves time (and frustration) in the long run.

Amend your beds with soil mix or compost and work fertilizer into the top few inches of soil. We have a good selection of synthetic and organic slow release fertilizers to choose from as well as liquid feed. Cowsmo aged compost is also a wonderful option for amending garden beds and is great for landscape plants too.

In general, a well-drained soil enriched with organic material is ideal. Our bulk premium soil mix is great for growing in the ground and our bulk potting mix is great for raised beds.

Straw mulch is a great way to keep moisture at the root zone of your veggies and suppress weeds. It’s best to wait to apply mulch until the ground is thoroughly warmed in June. 

Plan your Crops

Now that your garden beds are prepped, the fun begins! Measure your beds and plan placement of your crops. Make sure to allow enough room for ultimate height and width of your veggies and good airflow between plants. They won’t be babies forever! 

Direct sow or plant out cold weather crops (peas, lettuce, carrots, beets, kale) in late April/early May. After last frost in mid to late May, direct sow warm weather crops (beans, watermelon, squash, cucumbers) and plant tomato, pepper, and eggplant seedlings.

We have a great selection of vegetable starts and seeds for direct sowing. We’re happy to help you get your garden growing! 

 

 

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