There’s lots of potential for the garden season to start much earlier than Memorial Day!
Everyone is used to planting vegetables in late May, but you can direct sow many seeds right now if you’d like to!
You only have a dollar or two to loose, and so much to gain! All it takes is a packet of seeds, some well nourished soil (add organic compost), sunlight and water.
It isn’t too early for lettuce, and with the warm weather forecast for New England over the next few weeks, I believe that we’re going to see a nice early lettuce harvest this year.
Peas are another early favorite. They can be sown directly in an area where a fence or trellis is ready to support them as they grow.
Here’s the peas a few years ago just starting their climb.
Radishes will germinate now, and they grow so quickly. You could be eating home grown radishes in just three weeks if you plunk a short row of seeds into some well nourished soil!
As I looked at this photo from a few years ago I noticed the rocks… I’m always removing rocks.. but small rocks are okay, as long as you add lots of compost. It’s really all about the compost.
Kale and Swiss Chard are also very hardy. When we say that a plant is “hardy”, we usually mean that it will withstand cold well.
This is swiss chard from last summer. Some of it actually wintered over a little bit (photos of that are here ). I added more seed over the weekend to fluff it up and fill in the spaces between plants.
Spinach is another good early spring choice. It loves cool weather and will bolt as soon as it gets hot, so plant it now!
Here’s a quick list of spring vegetables that you can plant outside from seed right now:
-Lettuce
-Peas
-Radishes
-Kale
-Swiss Chard
-Spinach
-Scallions
Most of these will be ready by Memorial Day, or the 4th of July!
Our weather changes so quickly at this time of year, but don’t be afraid, give it a go!
Have you planted anything yet?
Leave me your questions, concerns, successes, anything that’s on your mind…
Happy Planting! Happy Spring!
Love, Michele
The Salem Garden 