Planning Ahead for a Successful Spring Garden
It's the beginning of February and while that seems like we're still in winter, it's never too early to start planning for your gardening season. Allow me to share 3 important garden prep items to start thinking about now, because we're all going to blink and it'll be spring!
Know your zone If you're new to this thing "zone" it's really important. A zone - Hardiness Zone - is a geographic area with a specific average minimum winter temperature, as determined by the USDA. Hardiness zones help gardeners choose plants that can survive in their area. Not paying attention to the zones on the back of the seed packet or the plant tag can be frustrating and costly. A few years ago I bought several pots of Black & Blue Salvia, a nifty pollinator plant that our hummingbirds and bees loved. I assumed they were perennials and was excited to see them return the following summer. No such luck. I didn't read that the hardiness zone was 9-10, which is the south/southwest/west United States. What this means is that those plants can't survive our winters (Ohio is 6b), so they must be replanted the following year. Lesson learned. I still buy them anyway, but at least now I know and can add those into my huge annual plant/flower budget each year (insert a HAHA here!).
A garden tag shows the hardiness zone Also, just because the plant can't survive our winter because its zone is different, it doesn't mean you can't still grow it. I have a Meyer lemon tree, which survives outdoors in zones 7a-10. In the winter, I bring it in and put it under a grow light (or if you have a huge southern exposure window). The trees are a little bit of an investment, so they're worth it to me to bring in and baby for the winter. The tree goes back outside after danger of spring's last frost has passed. Tropical Hibiscus are treated the same way in colder climates.
Know your soil. Here in central Ohio, our soil is loaded with heavy clay. Clay doesn't allow for good drainage and it isn't very fertile. This is most important if you want to do a vegetable garden the old-fashioned way: rows straight in the ground. If your soil is crappy, not fertile with poor drainage, your garden is likely to fail. This is why I like the square foot gardening method. You can buy the book HERE.
Soil prep (and area prep) is why thinking this through now is a good idea. Do you want to do raised beds? Do you just want to plop the veggie seeds in the ground? Are you creating a flower garden with plants that require good drainage and you only have clay soil? As far as raised beds go, in the Square Foot Gardening method, there's a blend of soil, compost and other natural additives called "Mel's Mix" that's stellar. A little pricey, but a good soil mixture.
As a side note and something I literally just learned in research done for this article: Sphagnum moss and peat moss are not the same in terms of environmental impact. I've been avoiding buying "peat moss" which I thought was what we were talking about (part of "Mel's Mix). Regular peat moss is environmentally unsustainable (bad for the earth) and involves digging up peat bogs. The sphagnum moss is what grows on top and can be sustainable harvested. I'm glad I know this now, because the sphagnum moss made a big difference in the garden when I did use it! If you're really concerned about the quality of your soil, you can always take a sample to your local agricultural extension office and have it tested.
Think about what you have time for and what you want to plant. And, I would add - what you're willing to take care of. I'll go into more detail in another article, but if you're super short on time, then don't go crazy with three raised garden beds and loads of hanging baskets. Hanging baskets, by the way, aren't cheap and they require a lot of attention.
The best chance for success, especially if this is garden year one, is to start with ONE 16 ft² raised garden bed and whatever flower pots you want. One ft² garden bed is easy enough to handle, get used to how to take care of it and take pride in your success!
As far as what you want to plant, allow me to just offer this simple advice: if you're new to gardening or short on time or money (or al of these!), stick to the basics. This year, don't go wild with fancy new vegetables and exotic flowers. Stick to what you know you'll eat and what is easy to grow (tomatoes, zucchini, beans, oregano, basil). If you keep it simple and basic, you'll get some gardening time under your belt without spending a load of cash and energy, gain some knowledge....which you can put to use in expanding your beautiful garden next season!
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