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The seed catalogs have been out for a while, and it is time to plan your spring vegetable garden. Here are some tips on what to do to get ready to plant.
Remove any old plants and debris that are in your garden area. Rake up leaves and other organic matter and save for the compost pile. Rake your soil to break up clods a few weeks before planting.
Work three inches of compost into the top six inches of soil. Mix the compost in with the soil so it is evenly distributed throughout, and you can also use a little extra in the holes of your plants mixed with.
Every year after adding the compost to your soil, it is helpful to do a soil test. You can get instructions from your Extension agent. The soil test will tell you the nutrients present in your soil. If you specify that you are growing vegetables, the soil test recommendations will tell you what to add before planting. 
Follow the soil test recommendations and work the fertilizer into the top three inches of the soil. After this, the soil will have everything a plant needs to get started. You will have to fertilize your vegetables during the season because it takes a lot of nutrients to produce vegetables especially if you want high yields.
While you should have cleaned and sharpened your tools last winter when you put them up, check to make sure everything is ready for use now. Clean tools and sharpen the dull ones. Sharp tools are less likely to spread disease because the clean cuts make the plants heal faster.
Decide what you want to grow this spring and make a list. Using graph paper, lay out where you will plant each crop. Remember to plan to replant areas when you harvest the first crops. Don’t buy more seeds and plants than you have room to plant.
You will need to start some seeds indoors. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant are generally started six to eight weeks before it is time to plant them outside. You can also start crops like squash, cucumbers, melons, cabbage, and broccoli indoors. Root crops need to be sown directly in the ground because they do not like to be moved.
Hauling water to your garden is no fun. Make sure your irrigation system is ready to go and in good repair before you plant your garden. Keep seeds and new plants well watered so they can develop good root systems. 
If you are growing plants that vine, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans, set up your support structures as you plant them. Setting them up at planting avoids damaging roots and lets the plants use the trellis or cage from the start.
Plants are put in the ground at different times depending on the crop. The average date of last frost is April 15th. However, it has frosted as late as May 14th, but only once. Kansas Extension has a list of when to plant each crop here.
Buy your seeds from some place that gets fresh seed each year. Most area nurseries will have fresh seed, as will the big box stores. You can also order it online. Order seeds early so you get what you want in time to plant. Some years, the seed companies run out of particular varieties. Buy plants when it is time to put them in the ground.
Spring gardens are full of hope. While Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping doesn’t do vegetable gardens, we will take care of your landscape beds. Simply enroll in our garden care program and we will weed, add mulch, treat the beds with a pre-emergent, sharpen the edges of the beds, and fertilize the plants. We leave everything looking crisp and professional. Call (816) 825-2524 or schedule a consult to enroll.
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