As spring unfolds and the sun graces us with its presence once more, gardeners everywhere are dusting off their tools and peering eagerly into their seed collections. But why wait for the official start of the growing season? Getting an early start on gardening can significantly maximize your garden's potential, ensuring a longer growing season, healthier plants, and a more bountiful harvest.
So, let's delve into the myriad reasons why beginning your gardening endeavors ahead of schedule is not just a matter of keenness, but a strategic move that can lead to an increasingly rewarding relationship with your patch of earth.
How to Get an Early Start in Your Garden
Browse and Buy
This is the perfect time to look for seeds. Forget clothes or jewelry—I can spend ages agonizing over websites, looking for the ultimate cherry tomato. Take a look at what you use regularly and plan accordingly. As cute as mini cucumbers may be, standards might be best for you if you use them regularly.
Inventory
If container gardening is your thing, take stock of what you have and give everything a thorough cleaning so you're ready to go. Punch holes in big tomato cans (most are specially lined) to make little planters for herbs. Troll your local dollar store for plastic pots and window boxes before spending a fortune at a hardware store.
Plan, plan, plan
Think about the methods you'll be using before splurging on expensive garden boxes. With square-foot gardening, you can get a good idea of how much space each type of vegetable needs. A family of four will not likely need more than two zucchini plants unless you like being overrun with squash.
If this is your first year gardening, you can easily establish an in-ground plot by layering. Get some black and white newspaper (no glossy ads) and lay it out in the yard where you want your garden. Add about five layers of paper, and then weigh it all down with plastic bags of topsoil. In a month, you will have smothered the grass and weeds enough to till them up easily. Remove the big clumps, and layer again with newspaper. Edge with timber, stones, or plastic, and fill with about 4-6" of a mixture of topsoil and garden soil with fertilizer. Voila!
Start some seeds
The gorgeous seedlings you get at hardware stores have been produced under ideal circumstances. If you have a sunroom or a very sunny area close to the house, you can get a good start on some plants in a seed-starting tray. Start them indoors until leaves appear, and then move them outside.
Sunlight is a must for growing good seedlings. If you don't get enough sun, you'll know because your plants will be too leggy and fall over. Never fear, that's why you get hundreds of seeds in a pack.
An early start does more than just extend the harvest timeline—it invites a sense of preparedness and harmony with the cycle of growth. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a green-thumbed novice, taking advantage of the early spring days is a powerful step towards cultivating not just plants, but a deeper connection to the earth and the rhythm of nature!
