Getting started in the garden

To the right is a picture of my garden on March 1! It's not looking very promising right now!

But by month's end, we will see the beginnings of this summer's garden. Late March – early April is the month when gardening starts in earnest in the colder northern climates.

Keep in mind that last frost dates are everything in early spring planting. To plant at the correct time, you have to know when your last frost date is and then you count backward from there to get your March Planting Dates. The first week in June can be your last frost date. The first frost is usually expected by the second week in September. The best way to know your average last frost date is to keep track of it yourself and to ask seasoned pros in your area what their experience has been. 

However, when it's been a long winter and we want to get our fingers in the dirt early and start some cold crops we can use some containers or raised beds. I use soil heat cables in my raised beds and cover with a plastic over hoops. Containers can be started indoors and put outside on sunny days above freezing. A tray, pot or window box that is at least 18 inches across and 6 to 12 inches deep is a good choice. Deeper pots allow more room for roots and keep the soil from drying out as quickly.

Growing your own salad greens can provide a source of fresh, flavorful leafy vegetables with the added benefit of being able to try interesting varieties. Greens grow quickly so they can start from seeds rather than transplants. In addition to being more economical, growing from seeds offers the opportunity to choose from the wide variety of different types of leafy greens. Some of the choices available for salad mixes are lettuce, mustard greens, arugula, cress, mizuna, chervil, endive, mache, Chinese cabbage, tatsoi, escarole, garden cress, kale and Swiss chard.

Often several brightly colored varieties come as a mix in one packet. "Mesclun" means mix and usually includes arugula, lettuce, endive and chervil. Many salad mixes include greens, like arugula, that have a tangy taste and add unique flavor. Red and dark green types generally are higher in nutrients and antioxidants. Some varieties are identified as heat tolerant and these may be good choices for container gardening. Five or six hours of sun a day is recommended. Remember, leafy greens are cool season crops and prefer temperatures below 85 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, many leafy greens are cold hardy and can survive light frosts.

You will be able to harvest your first crop in just a few short weeks. Just cut what you need and leave the other plants to grow, prolonging your harvest. You can start thinning as soon as the plants are a few inches tall – the remaining plants will fill in the empty spaces. Use a pair of scissors or shears to cut the plants after they reach a height of four to six inches, leaving behind about an inch of stubble to resume growth. Lettuce can be picked leaf by leaf almost from the time the first one emerges. If the lettuce starts to "bolt" (sends up a stalk and goes to seed) the leaves tend to be bitter. Remove any plants that start to bolt to enjoy the best flavors that your garden can provide. Leafy greens also make a flavorful addition to sandwiches or wraps.

One of the joys of salad gardening is being able to plant once but harvest multiple times. Leafy vegetables can often be cut down almost to ground level and will re-grow additional leaves for your next harvest. You should be able to enjoy three or more harvests from each planting.

Salad mixes can be planted much closer together than other vegetables since they will not be maturing into full-sized plants.

I hope it helps you get an extra early start this year on your spring garden. Planting many seeds now in March will lead you to a wonderful harvest this spring starting in late April!!!

"Homemade Salad Dressing" ideas: (University of Maine Cooperative Extension-EFNEP)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

• ½ cup or less olive oil

• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• ½ cup or less olive oil

• ½ teaspoon dried or 1 tablespoon freshly minced oregano

• Salt and pepper to taste