| 2-02-06 Here Comes Spring |
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In This Issue:
1. Here comes spring! No words make my heart soar quite like “the coming of spring.” It means more than just the highly anticipated arrival of another season. It means that all the brand new seed packets carefully selected over the winter can be brought out to the light of day. It means fresh potting soil, blossoms bursting forth from the earth, shiny new ambitions for a brand new growing season, and maybe even a few new tools. It’s ChristmaHanukkahKwanzaa for Gardenerds! That’s right, March 20th marks the first day of spring (in this hemisphere, anyway). With so many options for how to spend your Equinox, it seems only fitting to share my personal list of “What’s Growin’ On” in the garden this spring. So get out your Gardenerd Journals, your hand trowel and plant markers, and join me in celebrating the arrival of spring with panache. 2. What to Plant Veggies: (note - planting dates for your region will vary) Arugula, asparagus, beans (both green and dry legumes), carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, garlic, leeks, lettuces, muskmelons, onions and green onions, peas, potatoes (oh you haven’t lived until you’ve eaten home grown potatoes!), pumpkins, radishes, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, watermelon, zucchini and other squash (like yellow crookneck and butternut). Herbs: Basil, borage, cilantro, epazote, parsley (curly and flat), chives – heck almost all herbs thrive in spring, so give it a go. Flowers: (Admittedly I’m lazy when it comes to planting flowers, so my list is much shorter than the laundry list of vegetables I’m planning to grow this spring.) Cosmos, daffodils, hollyhocks, irises, lambs ears, sunflowers, poppies, nasturtiums. 3. Gardenerd Tip of the Month When you plant your delicate new seeds and seedlings this spring, don’t just water them. Give them an extra boost by watering with kelp or fish emulsions. Fish emulsion, while it doesn’t smell great, contains a broad spectrum of minerals and plant boosting nutrients that will help get your plants off to a great start. Kelp emulsion has a similar benefit. Kelp (that’s fancy talk for seaweed) absorbs trace minerals and micronutrients from the ocean. It then deposits them in the soil, leaving an abundance of nutrients for your plants to feed upon. I’ve found that by watering my newly planted seeds with kelp emulsion once or twice a week for the first 3 weeks, they come up stronger and healthier than with just water. You can find both kelp and fish emulsions at many nurseries that carry organic gardening products, or you can check out one of my favorite sites: www.gardensalive.com for a terrific assortment of organic fertilizers and other great items for the devoted Gardenerd. Just type “kelp” into the search box. 4. Hats off to spring Or should I say “hats on” in this case? Either way, here’s a chance to cover your cranium Gardenerd style. I’m pleased to say that the Chairman of the Board at Ocean View Farms Organic Community Garden can be seen modeling this Gardenerd Baseball cap nearly every time I see him. Get this great cap before Daylight Savings Time hits, and you’ll be ready for long days of sun and splendor in the garden. Buy your Gardenerd Baseball Cap Here! |
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