Starting Garden Plants Early

Spinach prefers an area with morning sun and afternoon shade and is best planted in early spring while temperatures are still cool about 1 week after the last frost has passed.

Starting garden plants early. Week 15 gazania calibrachoa. Once you get your bed established you can look forward to a rhubarb harvest every spring for decades. Plant seeds inch deep every 2 inches in rows 12 to 18 inches apart. Week 11 impatiens more perennials.

Week 13 onions shallots and slow germinating perennials. Thin the sprouts when they are 1 to 2 inches tall to every 4 inches. We want these plants to be blossoming by the end of may. An alternative to using the kits is to purchase biodegradable pots that break down in the soil.

Remove flower stalks the first year to allow the plant to develop. When more than one crop is planted after another it s called succession planting. Plant dormant crowns in early spring. Another reason to start your garden early is to have something fun to do in the winter months.

Burpee offers a variety of seed starting kits that include trays with cells expandable coir pellets a tray to set them on and a clear lid to hold in humidity during the early stages. Week 12 petunias profusion zinnias. You can plant them right in the garden and so avoid disturbing the young plant s roots. Starting early is a gamble and you must remain vigilant and prepared in case of cold weather frosts and overnight temps below freezing are a distinct possibility in april.

Starting your garden early helps you make the most of the growing season and to extend it. Every location is different but here s an example of the way we plant.