Countdown to Spring
March 20 is the first day of spring. It’s hard to believe, since the temperature is supposed to drop to 26 degrees here tonight, but we’re less than three weeks away from that first day of spring. That means garden season is just around the corner. If you’re planning to grow some food this year and you’re anything like us (read: procrastinators), you’ve got a lot to do in the next few weeks.
I’ve started compiling a list of garden-related things we need to do in the next 21 (or so) days, to get our garden ready for spring, and ourselves ready for gardening. Here’s a start. Maybe this list will jog your memory about some of the things you need to do as well. (And please leave a comment if you think I’m forgetting something!)
1. Till the garden.
2. Clear out a spot in the flowerbed to plant berry bushes.
3. Talk to local extension agent about which berries will grow best in our area and decide which ones to plant. (I’m leaning toward blueberries and raspberries but need to check with an expert.)
4. Find a good spot for a small strawberry patch, a first for us.
5. Decide which vegetables we’ll grow this year, and where to grow each (in the garden or in containers). We have several regulars that will always make an appearance, but we like to try one or two new ones each season, and now the kids are old enough to know what they like, so we’ll let them make some selections too.
6. Buy seeds. We love to buy from local places like Coldwater Seed & Feed (pictured in this post from last year), but everything we want isn’t always available nearby, so we’ll be purchasing some seeds online. (I’d love to hear your suggestions of the best sites to buy organic seeds!)
7. Weed the flowerbeds.
8. Test the soil in the garden. With the help of our local county extension office, we’ll need to send a sample to the agriculture experts at Auburn University, who will let us know if we need to treat the soil.
9. Sort through the gardening supplies in the garage and see if we need to buy anything new — tomato stakes, hoes, etc.
10. Finish eating the food we still have in the freezer from last year, to make room for new fresh veggies!
What’s on your to-do list for getting ready for spring gardening?
We really love reading your posts, i just used this website Swap my Seeds, as a way of giving away my unused seeds. Anyone know what I can sell them for? I have maybe 150 begonia seeds left.
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