I would like to plan my vegetable garden early so I can take full advantage of the entire growing season. What preparations do I need to be making now?
Several things will help you prepare. Have you made a list of which vegetables you plan to grow? Perhaps a little more of some things and less of others that you grew last year. Do you want to try some new varieties? I plant multiple varieties of tomatoes, so I have both early and late varieties and different sizes.
What about your leftover seeds from last year? There is an easy way to check their viability. Count 10 seeds of each packet and place them in a row on a wet paper towel. Roll up the towels and place them in a shallow pan. Make a list or map of their order. Place the pan in a warm area such as on a stove top. Add water to the pan daily to keep the towels moist. Start checking after a week to see which have sprouted. Virtually all will have sprouted by 3 weeks. Anything that doesn’t sprout at least 6 or 7 weeks needs to be replaced. Now buy what seeds you need at a local store or order online. My two favorite vegetable seed catalogs are Territorial Seed Co. (territorialseed.com) and Johnny’s Seeds (johnnyseeds.com).
Your vegetable garden will grow better if organic matter is added to the soil every year. Do you have a compost pile where you have been accumulating grass clippings and leaves? Spread it over your vegetable garden at least 3 inches deep and spade or rototill. If you don’t have your own compost, consider adding bark dust. Also add some lime to make your soil less acid.
