Spring

Vegetable
Garden
Tips and Ideas
Summer is just about here, and with it comes all sorts of new possibilities
for the upcoming growing season. Among these lies the opportunity to
plant a beautiful new garden with a perkfresh vegetables. The sooner you
plant your spring vegetable garden, the sooner youll be able to enjoy
beautiful homegrown vegetables with your family throughout the summer.
Decide what size garden best fits your yard space and vegetable needs.
Think about the size of the area youll have with ideal sun exposure.
Vegetable gardens should get 6 to 7 hours of daily sun. Also, consider how
close the nearest water source is as youll initially need to water frequently.
Take time to sketch and plan out what youd like to plant most, how many
of each vegetable plant youd like, and how youd like to use the area with
which youll be working. Think about plant placement and what order of
plants would make the most sense for your familys needs. Consider
planting quickly-ripening vegetables in between rows of more slowripening vegetables to maximize the efficiency of your garden plot. When
youve decided what options are best for your situation, make a seed list
and make note of any extra tools you might need. If you plan to grow your
vegetables in a window box or similar plot, some extra wood and supplies
might be necessary. Determine what type of soil and fertilizer youll want
along with how much of it youll need based on your desired garden size.

What to Plant
Some vegetables are ideal options in that they actually thrive quite well in
spring weather conditions. These include:

 Asparagus, peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, and cucumbers.

Root vegetables like carrots, parsnips, and turnips do especially well
in the spring in areas like Florida with ground that remains unfrozen.
The spring growing season is also ideal for herb gardening as well.
Herbs like dill, basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and
coriander all thrive quite well in spring weather.
Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, and radishes can all be planted now and
still ready to enjoy by summer.
Concerning soil, youve got a few different options. You can either use the
existing soil as is or add organic matter to further enrich it if theres
compost available nearby. Three weeks before you plan to plant is an ideal
time to spade or plow the soil. When your planned planting day arrives,
reworking the soil and forming it into a flat and even surface will give your
new plants the best chance of producing great vegetables.
Depending on the condition of your current soil, you may need to adjust the
pH slightly to achieve desired growth over the next few months. Soil pH
affects plant nutrient availability, so a little improvement in this
department will lead to a great result. To tell whether adjusting the pH of
your soil will be a necessary step, look for a soil testing kit at a nearby
garden center or home improvement store. If the results show that the pH
of your soil is between 5.5 and 7.0, youll be a step ahead and wont need to
make any adjustments. If the pH is too low, however, you might need to
add lime to the soil. A soil pH thats too high may need a sulfur application
to bring it back down. If either of these possibilities is the case, consult your
local garden center to determine your unique pH needs.
A soil test kit will also come in handy for knowing which nutrients are
depleted, so youll be able to use this to determine whether to add a
common fertilizer grade like 10-10-10 or a more specified option. Its
important to pay attention to soil test results of phosphorus content as
Florida soil often already contains adequate phosphorus content. Add too
much extra phosphorus and youll be polluting nearby rivers and lakes.
Once youve decided which fertilizer will best fit your needs, apply said
fertilizer over the entirety of your vegetable garden plot right before you
plant anything. Over the course of the few months after planting, youll
likely need to lightly add more fertilizer on 2 or 3 occasions throughout the
growing season. With leafy vegetables like lettuce, collards or kale, adding
nitrogen-rich fertilizers like ammonium nitrate will help them thrive. With

root vegetables, potassium-rich fertilizers like muriate of potash will make a

huge difference as well.
Although vegetables need soil moisture to thrive, too much leftover water
from rainfall or heavy watering will slow their growth. Take this into
consideration when you plan where to place your garden plot in the yard as
an area that collects a lot of standing water after a heavy rain might not be
the best option. The frequency of your watering schedule will depend on the
plant and soil type. Initially, youll likely need to water with smaller
amounts more often and as the plants mature youll be able to trade
frequency for heavier amounts of water less often. Another factor to
consider is whether your soil is sandier or more clay-based. This can vary
widely from area to area, particularly here in the panhandle. If your soil is
sandier, youll need to water more frequently than with a clay soil.
Be extra cautious when dealing with pest control options that deal with
edible plants. Be sure to avoid harsh chemicals as much as possible as they
may render your veggies useless for eating at best or toxic at worst. In this
case, its best to try to stick with natural pest control options to keep your
vegetables healthy and thriving. Eliminating any standing water nearby and
using barriers like row covers to protect plants can help keep pests at bay. If
you cant avoid using chemicals, be sure to consult a local garden center
about the particular pesticide you have in mind to be sure no one ends up
sick or poisoned.
Taking the time to plan out what you want out of your garden and following
the tips above will ensure you dont run into any roadblocks on the way.
With some planning, water, and time, youll be enjoying fresh and beautiful
spring vegetables that will add variety to both your garden and your
familys dinner table.

UF Florida Gardening Site:

http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/edibles/vegetables/planting-your-vegetable-garden.html
UF Florida Gardening by Season
http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/care/planting/vegetable-gardens-by-season.html

Florida Spring Vegetable Garden Guide

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021

(also what to plant and when)

http://ha6lk3ly9z.search.serialssolutions.com/?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info%3Aofi%2Fenc
%3AUTF8&rfr_id=info:sid/summon.serialssolutions.com&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&
rft.atitle=Spring+into+summer+with+your+own+vegetable+garden&rft.jtitle=Sunday+Life+%28Belfast
%2C+Northern+Ireland%29&rft.date=2013-04-21&rft.pub=Independent+News+
%26+Media+Ltd&rft.issn=13602772&rft.spage=5&rft.externalDBID=3GN&rft.externalDocID=327143914&paramdict=en-US

What to plant and when:

http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/organic-gardening/your-spring-vegetable-gardenwhen-to-plant-what.html
NYT Gardening Article:
http://search.proquest.com.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/docview/121162521/pageviewPDF?accountid=4840
Which vegetables to plant:
http://www.pallensmith.com/articles/spring-vegetable-garden