Preparing Vegetable Garden In the Spring

How Should I Prepare My Vegetable Garden For Planting?

It's the time for planting vegetables from seed now. Before planting do a thorough cultivation of the garden making sure to remove any signs of scotch grass or other weeds. If the soil is light and sandy add lots of compost. There are a number of choices of compost such as cattle manure, sheep manure or mushroom compost which all work well. Bagged and processed manures will not produce weeds. As well, peat moss can be added into the vegetable garden. All of these additions will help to lighten the soil and hold moisture. In a heavier more clay-like soil it is not wise to cultivate too early. Clay soil will compact and get very hard if it is worked when it is wet. As soon as it is dry, the addition of peat moss or organic materials, which are named above, will help prevent clay from getting too hard and packed.

If the garden has been growing vegetables for many years, it may be wise to add fertilizer. A light application of fertilizer high in the middle number will help the garden to produce top quality and quantity of vegetables.

It is ok now to plant onions, peas, radishes, parsnips, carrots and turnips. All of these are cooler crops. If the soil is warm, it is also time to plant crops like beans. Do not plant out tomatoes or peppers just yet because they will be damaged by any late frosts.

Other cool crops such as transplants of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower or cabbage could be planted now.

?