Spring Week -5

Spring Color Dates Spring Color Dates
White Group January 25-31 Yellow Group March 22-28
Pink Group February 8-14 Green Group April 5-11
Red Group February 22-28 Blue Group April 19-25
Orange Group March 8-14 Violet Group May 3-9

To Do This Week

Start Seeds Inside Transplant Plants Plant Seeds Outside
Basil
Cilantro
Dill
Oregano
Thyme
Tomatoes
Broccoli*
Cabbage*
Collard greens*
Kale*
Leeks
Parsley*
Onions (from sets)
Peas
Spinach*
Turnips
*New plant! This was added since the previous week.

If you haven’t created your garden plan and prepped your garden, it’s time!

Plan

  • Decide what veggies you want to plant, and how much of each.
  • Create a garden plan!  Use the tool linked here, or draw out your garden on paper, mapping out where each type of plant will go.

Prepare

Basil

Basil is very easy to grow indoors, even without grow lights.To get a jump start on your basil harvest, start seeds inside now.  Just put them in a sunny window. Basil helps repel aphids, so you may want to plant one in each square of lettuce, and between tomato plants.

Broccoli

Broccoli is a hardy vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Now is the time to plant broccoli transplants in the garden.

If you have started seeds inside, the transplants are ready when they have 4-6 true leaves. Be sure to harden off before planting in the garden.

Cabbage

Cabbage is a hardy vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Now is the time to plant cabbage transplants in the garden.

If you have started seeds inside, the transplants are ready when they have 4-6 true leaves. Be sure to harden off before planting in the garden.

Cilantro

Cilantro grows best in cool weather. Some sources say to start it indoors, but others say plant only outside. Either way, once it’s grown it will self-sow with abandon. You may want to dedicate a spot for growing cilantro season after season. Then you can let it go to seed, pull the plants, shake them over the soil, and enjoy the following spring/fall without having to buy or plant seeds.

Collard Greens

Collard greens are a hardy vegetable that grow best in cool weather. Now is the time to plant collard transplants in the garden.

If you have started seeds inside, be sure to harden off before planting in the garden.

Dill

Dill requires light to germinate, so don’t plant it too deep in the soil. It’s not always recommended to start dill inside, but this is the only way I’ve been successful in growing dill in the garden.

Kale

Kale is a hardy vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Now is the time to plant kale transplants in the garden.

If you have started seeds inside, the transplants are ready when they have 4-6 true leaves. Be sure to harden off before planting in the garden.

Leeks

Whether you you started from seed or purchased them, leeks can be hardened off and transplanted now.

In raised garden beds leeks require at least 12″ of soil. Before planting, take out the soil until there is 6″ on the bottom and set it aside. Plant leeks 2-3″ deep in the soil, covering the stems up to the leaves. As they grow, gradually replace the soil–keep covering the stem so that only the leaves are exposed. This will blanch the stem, keeping it tender and edible.

Onions

Onions are a hardy vegetable that grow best in cool weather. When planting onions, you have 3 options–seeds, sets, and transplants.

Now is the time to plant onion sets. These look like dry mini-onions. Plant them pointy side up. The smallest sets can be planted every 4-6″ (4 or 9 per square foot) to grow into mature onions. Plant the bigger onion sets every 3″ (16 per square) to grow green onions.

Oregano

Oregano can be started indoors, or planted outside in about 6 weeks.

Parsley

Harden off and transplant parsley in the garden.

Peas

Peas are a hardy vegetable that grow best in cool weather. Peas do not transplant well. Plant peas directly in the garden as soon as the ground is no longer frozen and the soil can be worked.

Spinach

Spinach is a hardy vegetable that grows best in cool weather. Plant spinach directly in the garden as soon as the ground is 40 degrees (not frozen) and you are able to work the soil.

Thyme

Start thyme seeds indoors or purchase transplants later in the season.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a tender vegetable that take a long time to grow. In most areas the growing season is too short to plant them as seeds outdoors. Start seeds indoors and transplant it later in the season, or purchase transplants at that time.

Turnips

Turnips are a hardy vegetable that grows well in cool conditions. Turnips are always grown from seed.