Early Spring Starter Plants-Tips

Gardening can start way before the traditional May 24 weekend when we usually like to plant our tomatoes and peppers etc..

Late April and early May is a great time to start cool weather crops. These are items like peas, carrots, brassicas like kale and broccoli, Asian Greens, Onions, lettuce, beets, radishes etc...

Many of these crops really only thrive in cooler temps like peas and spinach.  Some of these crops can be grown all summer but also tolerate cool weather like lettuce and beets. Others are best grown in spring because of the pest they attract once the weather warms up such as Asian Greens which are a favourite for flea beetles which show up as the days get hotter.

Just note that spring planting does pose some risk.  These are frost and pest. Both problems can be solved with row cover fabric which can be purchase online or at garden centres.  The fabric protects from frost and if you hold down the sides well will guard your crops from flea beetles (Asian Greens), leaf miners (spinach, chard, beets)  and cabbage moth (broccoli and kale).  It is important to put the fabric right away before the pest arrive.

If you are only concerned with frost the most sensitive plants will be the tender greens and beets-chard.  The toughest are peas, spinach and tatsoi. 

Please check out the tips on planting 4 packs post too!

Hope this helps a little!