Skip to Content

Spring Vegetables: What, When & How to Prepare Your Garden

The years seem to go by so quickly but the winter months linger and sometimes the hope of spring comes in a tiny, green spark of perseverance from a newly planted seed that reminds us that new life is just around the corner.

After winter lingers, spring speeds by as the last snow melts, the flowers begin to break through the soil and the warmer breezes blow. And for garden lovers, our thoughts quickly turn to the coming summer days in the garden surrounded by homegrown goodness.

Spring Vegetables | Spring Gardening | Spring garden ideas | No till gardening | Gardening | Garden Ideas | Spring planting guide | Prepare your garden | 12 tips on how to prepare, plant and care for your spring vegetables. The health of your vegetables is in the health of your soil.

So what needs to be done to prepare for spring vegetables? What should be planted and when? And how do you prepare your garden?

Well, to start, I encourage you to read the article “Why You Absolutely MUST Do A No-Till Garden”. Your garden will thank you immensely for protecting and feeding the soil.

*We get commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here for more info about cookies collected and our privacy policy.

It is also so very important to also understand why your garden may get weeds and how to prevent it. It’s fascinating and worth reading: Why Your Garden Has Weeds and How to Fix It.

 

All of this information is included in our free resource library in a neat and handy printable PDF: Spring Vegetables.

Get access to your free resource library with over 30 resources: FREE resource library

 

This spring you can plan to have great success in your garden this year.

First off, PREPARE:

• Know your planting ZONE

By knowing your planting zone, your seed packets will give you an idea of which plants need to be started indoors to give enough time for growth and to grow produce before the first frost in your area. Find your zone here.

Thousands of dollars worth of seeds for a fraction of the cost!

Here’s what you need to know: Heirloom Seeds: Why You MUST Make the Switch

• Start your seeds indoors

Knowing your zone and weather patterns will help determine which plants to start indoors. Usually, it is 6-8 (sometimes 12) weeks before the last frost. This will give them the necessary advantage in having enough time to grow and produce vegetables before the first frost in the fall.

• Gather mulch

When using the no-till method, mulch is your absolute best friend in the garden. A mulch of leaves, straw, or grass not only keeps your soil wet and the weeds suppressed but also provides food for all the necessary microorganisms. And as your garden grows in health you will actually need to provide more mulch (nutrients) to feed the growing host of fungi and bacteria in your soil.

There is much more to your garden than meets the eye.

And these microorganisms will give health, strength, and vitality to your garden. The health of our bodies, families, and nation begins with the soil. We must take it seriously.

After you are prepared and the weather is warm enough, you will begin to PLANT:

• Companion Planting

There are a few key aspects to think about as you begin to plant your spring vegetables. If you have never utilized the benefits of companion planting, I urge you to begin. There are so many benefits to companion planting, you don’t want to miss them!

• Mulch as you plant

With the mulch you have gathered, use it now! It will protect your soil, feed your plants and also feed the microorganisms in the soil.

• Plant spring vegetables

As the weather warms in the spring you can begin by planting these delicious spring vegetables. They are cold hardy and some can even withstand freezing temperatures.

• PEAS
• SPINACH
• BRUSSELS SPROUTS
• PARSLEY
• POTATOES
• RADISH
• ENDIVE
• LEEKS

• BEETS
• SWISS CHARD
• LETTUCE

• KALE
• RUTABAGA
• CARROTS
• CABBAGE
• MUSTARD GREENS
• TURNIPS
• CELERY
• COLLARDS
• BROCCOLI
• GREEN ONIONS
• CAULIFLOWER

• Plant summer vegetables

Your summer planting will be all the vegetables that cannot withstand any cold temperatures at all. These would be:

• BASIL
• EGGPLANTS
• PUMPKINS
• BEANS
• MELON
• SQUASH
• CORN
• OKRA
• TOMATOES
• CUCUMBERS
• PEPPERS

And of course, after your spring and summer vegetables are carefully arranged, planted, and mulched, you will need to CARE for them.

• Water only after using the “finger test” method

The idea behind the “finger test” method is to not over or underwater your garden. To know when you should water, pull aside your mulch, stick your finger down into the dirt if it comes out wet, do not water, and if it comes out dry, water! The mulch you have placed will keep your soil wonderfully wet and you will water much less often, both conserving water and your vegetables, which do not like to be over…or under…watered.

• Fertilize with compost

Your garden will benefit from compost and compost tea. Again, the microorganisms need to be fed because they are what bring health to your vegetables.

• Cut off weeds below the dirt, leave the root in the ground, use leaves for mulch

When you do find a weed, do not frown upon it too deeply. Remember, weeds tell a story and they are invaluable. Cut the top off of the weed just below the dirt and leave the root in the soil. The root is organic matter that will help break up your soil and the leaves can be used as mulch. Do try to catch your weeds before they go to seed to prevent the spread of more weeds in your garden area.

• Watch for pests

Stay on top of the pests that will try to take advantage of your garden. The techniques explained on this page which will be put into action in your garden this year will aid you in pest control and prevention, which is very good news! Companion planting helps by confusing, for instance, the cabbage white butterfly from laying eggs on your broccoli. Use natural treatments and stay ahead of the damage the pests can do.

• Harvest often and in the morning

When vegetables really start to grow, it can be hard to stay on top of all the harvesting. But if you keep at it often it won’t be as overwhelming and your vegetables won’t spoil. If you harvest in the cool of the morning your vegetables will also be at their peak and you will have all day to tend to them as you can, freeze and preserve them.

You almost break a sweat just reading all of that, don’t you? But even now I can feel the heat of the sun on my arms, feel the dirt under my fingernails and smell that tomato smell as I brush up against their leaves.

Man, it feels good. We each can take responsibility for our health by tending to our gardens, and more importantly, our soil. Our soil is our future. And this year as you plant your spring vegetables, you can experience for yourself how healthy your garden can be.

Spring Vegetables | Spring Gardening | Spring garden ideas | No till gardening | Gardening | Garden Ideas | Spring planting guide | Prepare your garden | 12 tips on how to prepare, plant and care for your spring vegetables. The health of your vegetables is in the health of your soil.

If you are on a journey to self-sufficiency, you may be interested in our free resource page for homesteaders. It is password protected and updated weekly. So take a moment and sign up below. You will receive an email shortly and will be able to download and print all the helpful resources.

Seriously, our free resource page is worth looking into. It has a great selection of tips and checklists that have helped me out greatly. This page is password protected and is updated almost weekly! How much better can it get?? 😉 Sign up below! Happy learning! 

Get access to 50+ resources to help you gain confidence, save time, stay organized and restore hope. Your password-protected page will be updated on an almost weekly basis and weekly emails from A Life of Heritage will keep you in the know. 🙂 We want to bless YOU with this information!

All you have to do is:               

  1. Sign up below
  2. Find your confirmation email (in inbox or junk/spam folder) and confirm subscription
  3. The Welcome email will hold all the details and password for logging in to your resource page
  4. Add [email protected] to your contacts to ensure that you receive future emails and updates to our resource page

 

GET ACCESS TO YOUR FREE RESOURCE PAGE–DON’T MISS OUT ON THE 30+ RESOURCES!

 

I also would love to know what would help you. What can we add to our resource page to make your life that much easier? Email me your ideas: [email protected]

If you would like a sneak peek into our resource page: 

Free Resource Page for Horse Owners

Free Resource Page for Homesteaders

Free Resource Page for God Seeker

I accept the Privacy Policy