3/10

Cool Season or Warm Season?

Vegetables can be divided into two groups: cool season or warm season. You can plant cool season vegetables earlier in spring because occasional frost doesn’t damage them. Some cool season vegetables include peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, radishes, broccoli and cabbage.

Frost damages warm season vegetables, so only plant these when the danger of spring frost has passed. Warm season vegetables include tomatoes, peppers, squash, green beans and cucumbers.

4/10

Seeds or Plants?

Should you buy seeds to sow or seedling plants?

When you look at seed packets, you’ll find directions for how and when to sow those seeds. If you’re new to growing vegetables, look for “direct sow in the garden” in the instructions. Popular vegetables like peas, lettuce, green beans and squash usually start from seeds sown directly in the garden.

If the instructions suggest sowing seeds indoors several weeks before planting in the garden, buy those vegetables as plants in spring. You’ll find starter plants for cool season vegetables like cabbage and broccoli and warm season vegetables like tomatoes and peppers at most garden stores.

5/10

Know When You Are Likely Frost-Free

Many anxious new gardeners plant warm season vegetables on the first nice day of the spring. Then a cold front moves through, and they’re scrambling to protect their plants from the coming frost. That’s why knowing when to plant vegetables is essential.

Learn your average frost-free date and watch the extended weather forecast. The National Weather Service web site will give you the earliest, latest and average dates of the last freeze for your area. Where I live, that range covers 45 days, so I always wait until later in spring to plant.