This may be old hat to many of you but there are some things to think about in January in preparation for planting in late April/Early May here in Massachusetts:
- Know how much sun your garden gets. If you get less than 6 hours of sunlight a day, you need to plant accordingly.
- Prepare your soil and test your soil if you can. There are local resources at UMass here. I'm sure there are others which Google will happily find for you. Testing the soil allows you to amend the soil and get it ready for your vegetables, herbs and flowers. Each plant has its own ph range and it does vary.
- Plant your tallest plants in your northerly part of your garden. This is so your plants get maximum sun exposure and the tallest plants won't shade out the other plants in your garden.
- Give your plants enough space. Sometimes you don't need to plant as far apart as the seed packet says as you know that particular plants aren't going to compete for nutrients. You'll have to experiment with this and if you're not sure, you could always ask your neighbors!
- Plan by the seasons. Here are some suggestions as to when to plant what: Spring – sugar snap peas, lettuce, broccoli; Summer – tomatoes, peppers, eggplant; Fall – same as Spring; Winter – Kale, Garlic, Brussels Sprouts. If you're growing from seed it's usually suggested you start them indoors 3-6 weeks ahead of when you want to plant them. Our planting date is usually end of April/beginning of May, fyi.
- Crop rotation - if possible try not to plant the same plant families in the same places as last year.
That's all I can think of for now. Feel free to list your comments about your experiences and suggestions
What is the best, easiest way to test the soil?
ReplyDeleteHow about at Rocky's Ace? Just saw a garden ad for them, and they'll do it for $8.00!
ReplyDelete