Get planting early this year by scouting out local nurseries and early plant sales. Perusing their displays weekly in the spring can provide ideas for what’s in bloom to plant immediately in your garden.
Why buy local, now?
Purchasing plants from a local nursery or plant sale means healthy stock, knowledgeable staff, native plant choices and resistance to pests and diseases.
A local nursery or plant-sale employee educated in horticulture can answer plant choice questions and discuss plant needs and “right plant, right place” selection.
Native plants are more readily available at local nurseries and sales, too.
Overall, plants at these stores are hardier because they are adapted to local climate and soil conditions and, therefore, require less water, fertilizer and pesticides.
They are also maintained by skilled employees who pay attention to details and recognize problems early on, making for healthier young plants that are less likely to carry or transmit pests and diseases.
Attending plant sales hosted by local organizations is also a great way to get involved with your local gardening community!
When you purchase plants in early spring, you get to choose from displays that are in bloom, select from a wide variety of bare-root stock and native plants and keep the economy local. Local nurseries display plants that are in bloom at that time in their region, so they are almost guaranteed to bloom around the same time next year in your garden.
Purchasing bare-root plants in January and February and planting in the cool season means less work because plants grow more slowly and the regular rain means less water needs.
Successful gardening
Choose a protected and accessible spot that is sheltered from the elements, faces south for more daylight and sits on a slight slope for drainage.
Check sun patterns to see where shadows occur midday.
Test your soil every two to three years to monitor soil fertility.
Mulch with cover crop, straw, hay or burlap to protect the soil, keep it warm, conserve water and suppress weeds.
Add a penetrable wind barrier, such as a hedge or slated fence; avoid a solid fence to prevent cold wind from pooling on the opposite side.
Deflect excess rain by using cloches over your beds and by making your paths permeable to rain with materials like arborist chips or burlap.
Plants grow more slowly in the dormant season and will require less water, but be sure to check plants under eaves or large trees that don’t receive as much rainwater.
Keep an eye on temperatures. As they rise to 50 degrees Fahrenheit, pest populations increase.
Reduce pests and diseases in your soil by rotating plant families. With edible plantings, be sure to only plant a member of each family of crop in a given bed over the course of three years. The three families of plants that you should definitely rotate include: Solanaceae, which includes tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants; Brassicaceae, which includes broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale and Brussels sprouts; and Amaryllidaceae, which includes garlic, onions and chives.
For more information on crop rotation, check out Seattle Tilth’s “Maritime Northwest Garden Guide.”
To learn more about “right plant, right place” selection and how to care for early season edible plants, contact the Garden Hotline at (206) 633-0224 or www.gardenhotline.org.
MELISSA McGINN answers the Garden Hotline for Seattle Tilth (www.SeattleTilth.org).