Late March: Seeds in the garden

Seeds of tomatoes and peppers started indoors for later transplanting into the garden have germinated and are in the brightest window available. Seeds of frost tolerant plants that can be directly planted into the garden are now being checked for specific directions. Seed packets will say frost tolerant and will give information about when to plant. Planting times vary with the seed and all are based on the average last frost date so you can mark your calendar when different seeds can go into the ground. Planting beds can be prepared beforehand by sprinkling granular fertilizer and lightly raking it in, preferably just before a rain. For this part of Ohio the average last frost date is mid-May. A packet of kale seeds says that they can be planted one to two weeks before the frost date, late April to early May. Spinach says four to six weeks before frost date, early April. Carrots say two to three weeks before, mid April. Pea and onion packages say early spring, when the ground can be worked. If your ground is hard clay you might use the alternative method of soil temperature, 45 degrees, for soil readiness. If your soil is loose due to sand or lots of compost, you can plant earlier (early April) since these plants are cold tolerant. Try to time the planting of seeds to just before a rain to eliminate the need to water. April is fast approaching, next week, some seeds can be planted. Seed packets also include directions about planting depth and spacing. Consider how much you will use, are you one person, a family, a family of picky eaters? It is amazing that people plant vegetables they will not eat. The spinach experiment this year, seeds planted in mid January during a thaw, seems to be a success in that seeds have germinated and are growing already so no more will be planted. Usually spinach seeds are planted now at the edge of the space where summer squash will be planted later, the spinach will be bolting by the time the squash needs the space. Peas are planted in the same place every year (other vegetables are rotated) since their bacterial partners are in the soil where they grew before. Pea seeds are large and are pushed into the soil (could be planted in a furrow), invariably some come to the surface and must be re-pushed to deeper soil. Peas climb and will need trellising or pea brush to climb on. Pea brush can be made with tree branches that have been pruned, lots of storm pruned branches on the ground now. Onions can be planted from seed now or from sets later. Onion sets are available at nursery and garden stores. Many spring vegetables can be planted again in late summer for fall harvest. Carrots are planted now, but just a short row, since the summer planted carrots seem sweeter and last into the winter. Gather your seeds, mark the calendar, get your hands in the soil, enjoy the spring. Susan Carty is professor emerita at Heidelberg University.