Spring is Here: Kicking Off a New Season in My Vegetable Garden

After months away for the winter, one of the most rewarding parts of returning home is starting up my vegetable garden. It’s a process I look forward to every spring—a blend of preparation, anticipation, and hands-in-the-dirt satisfaction. Here’s how I get my garden growing each year.

Clearing Out and Cleaning Up

The first order of business is cleaning the beds. Over the winter, weeds creep in and debris settles, so I start by pulling out anything that doesn’t belong. I remove dead plant material, rake the soil surface, and check for any signs of pests or disease that might’ve taken hold while I was away. It’s all about giving the new season a clean slate.

Reviving the Soil

Good soil is the foundation of a healthy garden. After the beds are cleared, I bring in fresh soil where needed and enrich what’s already there. I mix in:

• Blood meal for a nitrogen boost to support leafy growth.

• Bone meal to encourage strong root development and flowering.

• Gypsum to help loosen the soil and add calcium, which benefits crops like tomatoes and peppers.

These amendments help recharge the soil and prepare it for the months ahead.

Setting Up the Compost Again

Because I’m away during the winter, I take down my compost system each fall. In spring, I set it back up in a sunny spot, reassembling my bins or piles. I use garden waste, kitchen scraps, and early spring prunings to get it started. As the season goes on, the compost will provide rich organic matter to feed my soil later in the year.

Starting Transplants

While the weather warms up slowly in early spring, I get a head start by starting seeds indoors. This saves me some money as transplants are expenseive and hard to find in my community in northern Albera.

Tomatoes, peppers, and other heat-lovers get a few weeks to grow before they face the outdoors. This year I am also planting broccoli, cabbage and caulifower as out local nursery has closed.

I use trays or small pots filled with seed-starting mix and give them warmth, water, and light to get them going.

Direct Sowing in May

In my northern garden mid May is the earliest I can plant directly into the beds. The soil has warmed, the danger of frost has passed, and the garden is ready. I sow carrots, peas, lettuce, radishes, and other cool-season crops straight into the ground. It’s always exciting to see those first rows of green breaking through the soil. Getting the garden going again each spring is a ritual that connects me to the seasons, to the soil, and to the food I’ll be harvesting in the months ahead. It’s a lot of work—but it’s the best kind of work.

Are you starting your garden too? I’d love to hear what you’re planting this year.

I recommend:

Check out my growing tips for you favourite vegetables.

Vegetable Garden Plans for your Rasised Beds
Vegetable Garden Plans for Square foot Gardens
Vegetable Garden Plans for Row Gardening

Join my facebook group

I would love to hear why you garden. Also, if you have any questions or comments please check out my Facebook group and lets chat. www.facebook.com/groups/veggiegardenhelper

Spread the word

Get everyone growing a few of their own veggies. Forward this FREE ezine to a friend. Happy gardening!

Catherine
your-vegetable-gardening-helper

Back to Back Issues Page