Think greens for spring! Some of the "super" foods of nutrition are among the crops you can plant in early spring. To have a successful spring garden plan and prepare now. These cool season crops have certain common characteristics.
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| A bed of peas, carrots, beets, cabbage, and broccoli. |
Characteristics of Cool Season Crops:
- Seeds from cool season crops germinate when soil temperatures are between 40-75 degrees.
- They tolerate light frosts
- A frost actually improves the flavor and sweetens up most greens.
- The ideal temperature for vegetative growth is 60-65 degrees. (Vegetative growth is green leaf growth)
- Warm temperatures stimulate reproductive growth or the development of flowers and seed. Chemicals that help in the development of flowers often produce a bitter taste in greens.
- Many are biennials meaning they need two seasons to produce seed.
- Not fond of warm temperatures and tend to bolt or get aphids in the summer
Cool Season Crops to Direct Seed in the Garden:
Peas, Carrots, Beets, Onions Sets, Radishes, Cilantro,
rutabagas, collards, oriental greens
Cool Season Crops to Transplant or Start Indoors:
Lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, chard, artichokes, Brussels sprouts, celery, kale, onions, leeks
All of these can be seeded directly into the garden or started indoors or put in as transplants. If you start seeds indoors it needs to be 6-8 weeks before your average last frost date.
New Harmony's Last Frost Date
May 11th or Mother's Day
Use the link below to determine your average last frost date:
When To Plant:
Soil temperature is the determining factor for when to begin planting. Most seed packets tell you the ideal soil temperature for germination. With cool season crops that is between 40-75 degrees. To find soil temperature go outside in the afternoon and stick a regular thermometer a few inches in the ground. Below is the schedule I use. I'm in zone 6. Springs are fairly fickle so have a way to protect your crops or delay planting until the soil warms up.
Spring Planting Schedule for New Harmony, Utah:All these dates are dependent on weather conditions. If the soil has not warmed and dried out hold off on planting.
Valentine's Day: Start seeds indoors of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, leeks, peppers
St Patrick's Day: Start indoors tomatoes, annual flowers, lettuce, greens, kale, Swiss chard
April Fool's Day: Direct seed peas, spinach, and kale
April 15th or Tax Day: Plant transplants of broccoli, kale, char, cauliflower, lettuce, and cabbage. Direst seed carrots an beets. I plant under a low tunnel. Have some sort of protection like a row cover or something in case it gets too cold. These crops can stand a light frost.
(Of course if your soil has not warmed up then postpone planting)
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| Chard and Kale in the Spring Garden. |
Enjoy some pictures of spring crops and pick some you want to try. Delicious and healthy! Check out the posts on individual crops.
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| Orange Fantasia Chard |
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| Cardinal Chard |
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| Bed of Chard including White Fordhook |
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| Jericho Romaine |
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| Pac Choi |
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| Kale |
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| Pac Choi is a early fast growing cabbage and so good in stir fries. |
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| Chinese cabbage is a fast growing early cabbage good in stir fries and cole slaw. |
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