Cold, snow and little to do out in the garden… Factors that make the period of late winter to spring both relaxing and uncomfortable for us gardeners. The ones that resent inactivity normally use this time reviewing the year past, planning ahead and shopping for the next season. But there’s something else that we can do… like prepare to grow some Early Spring Vegetables from seed! Many popular veggies, including peas, carrots, lettuce and spinach can be started from seeds very early in spring, while snow and frost are still around. Take a look.
Peas can be grown both by starting peas indoors and by directly planting the seeds outdoors. Seeds can be planted as early as 4-6 weeks from the expected last frost date for your region. Plant peas at a depth of 1 to 1-1/2 inches and allow a separation of at least 1 inch between adjacent seeds.
Carrot seeds can be planted directly in the garden, 2-3 months from the expected last frost date. Carrots prefer partially sandy soil. Loosen the soil and plant carrot seeds at a depth of about 1 inch, at least 4-5 inches apart. Carrot seed germination can take a long time and require a little care but considerable patience.
Lettuce seeds can be sown directly in the garden, 4-5 weeks from the expected last frost date. Prepare the planting site by loosening the soil and mixing good quantities of organic material to it. Top the ground surface with a thin layer of potting soil and sprinkle the seeds. Water lightly.
Spinach seeds can be started indoors about 6 weeks from the expected last frost date of your region. Plant the seeds shallow, partly covered by a layer of potting soil. Spinach seeds can also be sown directly in the garden, just as soon as you can work the ground. Allow a separation of 10-12 inches between the seeds and keep the soil moist at all times.