THE SPRING

VEGETABLE GARDEN

by Chuck Wiley

It's nearly springtime when a person’s thoughts should hopefully turn to ....... vegetables! That's right it's time to start our vegetable gardens. Even though our frost free date is technically May 1st, this is a great time of year to start our cool loving vegetables.

There are many vegetables that can handle the light frosts we get this time of year. If a colder night were to be predicted, in the high 20s, you can cover your freshly planted vegetables with Reemay, plastic or an old sheet to protect them from the frost. At this point, most greens can be planted and some, like spinach, do much better in cooler weather than in the summer. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are known as cole crops, which sounds like cold crops, all do very well planted at this time a year too. While kids don't always like the spicy taste of radishes, they are a great vegetable for them to plant as they come up in a matter of days and are ready to pick in a few short weeks.

There are a few perennial vegetables which actually are some of the easiest ones to grow. My all-time favorite is asparagus which can live for 20 or more years. Asparagus continually get bigger and more productive with just a little bit of care. The most important way to care for them is to keep the weeds out in order for them to thrive. They are one of the first vegetables to come up every spring and are absolutely delicious and healthy. Chives are another easily grown perennial and are up this time of year. They are ready to pick in another week or so. The third perennial, one of our family favorites, is rhubarb. While most vegetables require a fence, rhubarb does not necessarily need one due to it’s toxic leaves therefore not favored by our local animals. When planting these perennials take extra care to enrich the soil, since they are long lived, and compost will help them thrive. A light top dressing of composted cow manure should take care of most of their nutritional needs each year. I grow all my vegetables organically which means I can walk out into the garden, pick them, give them a light rinse if needed and eat them. YUM! What could be better than fresh vegetables!

[Plant Profile] Asparagus

Cool Weather Veggies

Early Spring Edibles

COOL WEATHER

VEGGIES & GREENS

Grow Your Own Greens!

Fresh, homegrown greens bring vibrant flavor and nutrition to your table. Cool weather veggies like lettuce, spinach, arugula, kale, endive and broccoli thrive in early spring, making them perfect for an early start to your garden. Onions thrive in northern climates, and timing is key for a flavorful harvest. Whether you’re growing bunching onions, leeks, or classic yellow and red varieties, planting them early gives them a strong start before summer’s heat. These cool-season crops develop robust roots when started early, ensuring a crisp, homegrown bounty for your kitchen. Don’t wait, get these cool weather veggies and greens in the ground and watch them flourish!

Cool weather greens growing in our greenhouse

First plant a round of our early seeded six packs of greens, then direct sow a second batch in mid April for a continuous harvest!.

Start Indoors First: Other herbs and cool-weather vegetables benefit from an early start indoors before transplanting as seedlings.
Direct Seed in Mid-April: Lettuces and cilantro can be sown directly into the garden once the soil is workable.

We’ve Got You Covered!

🌿 We grow a wonderful selection of greens and cool-weather veggies from seed, available in convenient plant packs.
🌿 Looking to start from scratch? We also offer a diverse variety of high-quality seeds from Fedco and Botanical Interest to get your garden growing!

Leafy greens like cooler temperatures to produce quick, tender leaves for your salads and cooking. The earlier you get them in the ground the better!

St. Patrick's Day is traditionally when you plant your peas out in the garden. If you missed it we've got you covered. Peas like to do most of their growth in cool temperatures.

We always start a bountiful selection of leafy salad greens.

“It's nearly springtime when a person’s thoughts should hopefully turn to ....... vegetables! That's right it's time to start our vegetable gardens. Even though our frost free date is technically May 1st, this is a great time of year to start our cool loving vegetables. There are many vegetables that can handle the light frosts we get this time of year. If a colder night were to be predicted, in the high 20s, you can cover your freshly planted vegetables with Reemay, plastic or an old sheet to protect them from the frost. At this point, most greens can be planted and some, like spinach, do much better in cooler weather than in the summer. Broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage are known as cole crops, which sounds like cold crops, all do very well planted at this time a year too. While kids don't always like the spicy taste of radishes, they are a great vegetable for them to plant as they come up in a matter of days and are ready to pick in a few short weeks. “ - Chuck Wiley, founder of Vineyard Gardens Landscaping

The Spring Vegetable Garden

Cool Weather Veggies to Plant

These hardy crops thrive in spring’s crisp temperatures:

Leafy Greens: Many types of lettuce including Spinach, Endive, Swiss Chard, Mustards and Collards
Peas: Don’t forget to plant your peas. Soak before seeding, it speeds up germination. They imbibe and more easily split the seed coat so the radicle can anchor itself down to become the root system. The two cotyledons then emerge, sometimes the seed coat stays attached to one of the cotyledons. It’s so beautiful watching the birth of a plant. We have hundreds of plants being born every day at Vineyard Gardens.
Brassicas: We will have a variety of broccolis in packs, such as Calabrese, Romanesco, Waltham, Cauliflower Snowball, Cabbage & Kale

*****************

Herbs

NOW IS THE TIME TO PLANT SOME HERBS! COME CHECK OUT OUR HERB HOUSE & HERB GARDEN!

ANNUAL HERBS: Cilantro, Parsley, Dill, Chervil, Lemon Grass, Lemon Verbena and Rosemary
PERENNIAL HERBS: Thyme. Sage, Mint, Tarragon, Savory and Lemon Balm

Eat Local Grow It in Your Own Backyard!

There’s nothing fresher than harvesting your own greens straight from the garden. Start early, plant with care, and enjoy delicious, homegrown goodness all season long!

SPRING CHECKLIST

MARCH GARDEN TIPS