Spring Vegetable Garden; Easy, Fun & Rewarding

As winter transforms into early spring, there are many fantastic vegetables that grow best in cooler seasons.

The first vine ripened tomato may still be a few months away, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy in the vegetable garden. Take advantage of the cool, wet weather of spring to put in multiple crops of nutritious vegetables.

Spring Favorites
Here's a list of great choices along with their days til harvest that are carefree & easy to grow:

Arugula (30), Beets (45), Broccoli (70) Brussels Sprouts (80), Carrots (50), Peas (60), Kale (75), Onions: seeds (125), sets (100), Potatoes: 2-3 eyes (90), Radish (25), Spinach (55).

It Doesn’t Get Easier
Choose a sunny location, sow seeds in loose well drained garden soil as soon as the soil can be worked and let nature take its course. Plant a second crop two weeks after the first for a sustained Spring harvest. We prefer to plant garlic and shallots in the fall, but both do fine as spring crops, so go ahead and plant them too!

After these veggies are ready for harvest it will be time to plant tomatoes, peppers, squash and more.

Cold Snap Protection
Even though many of these vegetables are regarded as cold tolerant (28-32 degrees), they can all be wiped out by a sudden, severe drop in temperature. It's important to be prepared with something to drape over the crops if an overnight cold snap is expected. Simply cover your plants with newspaper, old sheets or blankets overnight. Remove the covering the next morning.

More Info
Portland Nursey Veggie Planting Guide. Guidelines, tips and timing for planting vegetables.

Happy gardening!