Groundhog Day may have revealed six more weeks of winter, but spring will be here in no time! Now is the time to plan out your spring garden. Below we share some helpful tips and steps to guide you on your journey.
When planning your spring garden, keep in mind the following key elements:
Sunlight
Time
Space
Soil Nutrients
Access to Water
One of the most important steps to ensure your site is suitable for planting is to have your soil tested. The NC Cooperative Extension will test soil for free from April to November, right up until Thanksgiving, and will charge $4 to test any other time of the year. It all starts with healthy soil, without it you cannot have healthy plants!
After ensuring your soil is ready for planting, the next step is to choose what crops you will be growing. Consider some of the following questions when making this decision: What do you like to eat? What grows well in North Carolina? Do I have the space for the plants I’ve selected?
It’s a good idea to pick out crops that give you the most value for your money, time, and space. We refer to this as value-based planning. Growing broccoli takes a lot of time to mature to only produce 1 floret, whereas broccoli rabe takes less time to mature and yields far more. When choosing crops, it is also good to consider your unique space. Herbs, for instance, can be grown in containers or on your countertop, while melons, pumpkins, sweet potatoes, and squash require substantial space in your garden. Additionally, looking at different varieties can also help you strategically plan your garden. Opting for determinate (bush) instead of indeterminate (vine) varieties of tomatoes, and choosing bush beans over pole beans, can make a significant difference.
Here are some great examples of cool weather plants (spring) in NC to consider when choosing your crops:
Arugula
Beets
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Collards
Cilantro
Cabbage
Dill
Garlic
Kale
Once you have picked the right plants for you and your space, it is important to understand the necessary conditions for optimal growth. Spring plants prefer temperatures below 70 degrees and can withstand light frost. The later in the season you plant spring plants, the more stress they are susceptible to with higher temperatures approaching. Knowing these conditions will help your plants thrive and produce the best yield possible.
Lastly, consider crop rotation when planning a spring garden. For plants in the same family, they have the same nutritional needs, pests, and diseases. When you grow a crop family in the same place each year, you can deplete soil nutrients and increase pest and disease pressures. Through utilizing crop rotation, you can minimize these harms and protect your plants.
Here’s a fun tip: Keep maps of the last 3 years of your garden to know where to rotate crops.
Through utilizing these steps, you should have a thriving spring garden year after year. Have any further questions or want to learn more? Join us at one of our in-person spring planning workshops! Come learn everything you need to know to plan your spring vegetable garden. We’ll cover value-based planning, crop seasonality, plant spacing, crop rotation, and any other questions you may have.
Here are the upcoming dates:
March 4th, 2025: Spring Planting: Sprout into Spring at Geer (4:00-6:00)
March 8th, 2025: Fungi and Fun: A Hands-On Mushroom Workshop at Geer (9:30-11:30)
March 18th, 2025: Diagnosing Plant Problems: A Guide to Healthy Growth at Geer (5:00-7:00)
March 25th, 2025: Spring Planting: Sprout into Spring at Camden (5:00-7:00)