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.
Clean Up and Remove Debris
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.
Amend the Soil
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.
Soil Testing
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.
Fertilize
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.
Inspect and Repair Garden Tools
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.
Plan Your Garden Layout
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.
Start Seeds Indoors
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.
Check Irrigation Systems
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.
Create Support Structures
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.
Check Local Frost Dates
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.
Purchase Seeds and Plants
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 Is Hopeful
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.
Many people engage in a vigorous spring cleaning of the whole house. Don’t forget to clean your outdoor living space, too. Here are some tips on things to be sure and do to prepare for spending a lot of time outside.
Clear Debris
Over the winter, leaves and other debris end up on your patio, porch, lawn, and landscape beds. Rake this litter up and remove it. Many pests overwinter in leaves and organic debris, so removing it will help reduce your pest load as well as making the area look nicer.
Inspect and Clean Outdoor Furniture
Outdoor furniture takes a lot of abuse. Clean it with soap and water to remove dirt that accumulated during the winter. Inspect furniture, especially deck chairs and other things that stay outside in the weather, to make sure they do not have rust or damage that would make them break under use. If needed, give the furniture a new coat of weather-resistant paint to spruce it up further.
Clean and Repair Your Patio or Deck
Patios and decks need regular maintenance. Sweep them off then inspect them for damage. Stone and paver patios and decks need to be hosed off carefully to avoid washing the sand out of the joints. Keep the water moving and don’t focus on the joints. Wooden decks need to be hosed off, too. Every two or three years, pavers and concrete should be chemically cleaned and resealed to keep them fresh and hold their color. Wooden decks can be cleaned and stained, and sealed.
Garden Bed Preparation
Remove dead plants and debris. Prune overgrown shrubs and cut back ornamental grasses and perennials to make room for new growth to sprout. Adding a layer of fresh compost to add organic matter on top of the soil will help your plants thrive. Apply slow release fertilizer to the plants to give them a boost and help them to grow well during the coming season.
Inspect and Maintain the Grill
If you have a grill, be sure and inspect it carefully and make sure all the connections are tight, there are no leaks, and you have a full tank of gas. If your grill uses charcoal, clean out all the ashes and lay in a supply of charcoal for the coming grilling season. Remove any rust from your grill and seal it so no further damage occurs.
Revive the Lawn
Rake the lawn to remove debris and thatch. Spread a layer of compost on the soil and rake it in well. Apply fertilizer and water well. If you have bare spots, spread seed into the compost so it will fill in.
Clean Outdoor Lighting
Clean the surface of all your lights with a damp cloth. Test each light to make sure the bulbs work. Replace any burned-out bulbs. Inspect the wiring for damage and repair any bad spots. Make sure lights are aimed properly and re-aim any that have gotten knocked around during the winter storms.
Inspect and Clean Gutters
Before the spring rains, clean out your rain gutters. Make sure the gutters are in good repair without any leaks. Replace any damaged sections. Make sure the downspout goes well away from the foundation. If there is erosion from the downflow of water, place a weed barrier and rocks around it to protect your soil from washing away.
Check and Repair Fencing
If you have a fence, check for loose or damaged boards. Replace any problem boards with new ones. If needed, re-stain the fence or paint it to spiff it up. Check gates to make sure they lock securely and will open easily.
Organize Outdoor Storage Areas
Clean your outdoor storage areas. Arrange and organize the items in it so you can find what you are looking for. Remember to keep fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals under lock and key so children and pets do not get into them.
Pest Control
Bugs and rodents come out in the spring. If pests are eating your plants, you can use an insecticide to help control them. Keeping your landscape clean from debris is a great way to safely limit pests before using chemicals.
Add Some Greenery
Add shrubs to replace any that died during the winter, like evergreens that got winter burn. We usually use Mother’s Day as a mark of when frost chances are gone to add seasonal color annual flowers. New plants are a fun way to start the year and add interest to the garden.
Get Help with Spring Inspections
Royal Creations Architectural Landscaping can help get ready for the outdoor season. We can inspect your lights and make sure they are working properly and are aimed in the right direction. We offer patio maintenance and have the equipment and trained staff needed to do it properly. Finally, we offer a garden care program that includes weeding, pruning, new mulch, and pre-emergent to leave your landscape beds crisp and renewed. Call the office at (816) 825-2524 to get more information or schedule a consult.
With groceries increasing in price, this is a great year to start growing your own vegetables. You do not even have to have a dedicated vegetable garden. Vegetables grow great in containers or as part of a landscape bed.
Pick Familiar Vegetables
When planning a new garden, the choices of vegetables you can grow may be overwhelming. Start by picking vegetables you already eat. Once you become proficient at growing those plants, you can expand into new vegetables that you might like to try.
Cool Season Versus Warm Season Crops
Some plants grow best in the cool weather of the spring or fall, while others like warm weather. Lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, turnips, rutabagas, and radishes need cool weather to grow. When the weather turns hot, they tend to bolt, or flower, and stop tasting good.
Warm-season plants are things like corn, beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, cucumbers, and squash. These plants do not germinate until after the soil has warmed up for the year.
Where To Grow Your Vegetables
Vegetables need full sun. Find a place in full sun that is well-drained and fertile. If you can grow them in a raised planter with a frame around or even a mound, it can be easier to have great soil with organic amendments and provide better drainage.
Watering
They are also water hogs, so need to be close to a spigot or integrated into your irrigation system. Vegetables need to stay moist but not soggy.
Fertilizing
Vegetable plants need lots of nutrients to build the vegetables we enjoy. Most vegetables need a balanced fertilizer at planting and every four weeks or so after that until the vegetables are harvested.
Weeding
Weeds steal sunlight, nutrients, and water from your vegetables. Remove weeds when they are small when they are easier to get out.
Grow Hydroponically
An easier method of growing vegetables is to use a Tower Garden, a special type of hydroponic system where the roots are in rock wool instead of soil. This aeroponic growing system is easy to use and maintain. A special nutrient solution is mixed with water and put into the Tower Garden. This solution flows over the roots and keeps them moist and fed. Vegetables grow 30% more, 3 times faster, and with 98% less water.
You can use the Tower Garden outside in any sunny spot or inside anywhere you have a grow light. If you place your Tower Garden inside, you can grow the vegetables you enjoy any time of the year. All you need to do is keep the water and nutrient solution topped off.
Preparing Your Vegetables
You can pick your vegetables at peak ripeness and eat them the same day. From leafy greens to tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash, you can have the healthy produce you and your family deserve. Everyone should get at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Most produce loses approximately 30% of its nutrients within 3 days. When you grow your own food, it will have the highest nutrient density possible.
Let Us Help
We can help you decide which Tower Garden is right for you and get you started growing your own fresh veggies at home this Spring. Contact Royal Crown Architectural Landscaping to get started today.
