Outdoor Planting

It's time! That's right it's finally time to get out there and clean out those garden beds and start planting! I know it seems a bit too cold but I promise there are a few hearty seeds that love to get started now.  Here is a short list of what you can plant now and how to get the best results!

1.) Carrots.  Carrots should be planted outdoors 3-5 weeks prior to the last Spring frost.  Here are a few more tips for great carrots.

• Make sure your soil is free of stones; carrots need deeply tilled soil that they can push through.
• Have you ever seen a carrot that has grown “legs” or forked? Fresh manure, or even recently applied rotted manure, can cause carrots to fork and send out little side roots. Don’t use it before you plant your seeds.
• Plant seeds 3-4 inches apart in rows. Rows should be at least a foot apart.
• Gently mulch to retain moisture, speed germination and block the sun from the roots.
• Soil should be well drained and loose to prevent forking and stunting of the root growth.
• Once plants are an inch tall, thin so they stand 3 inches apart. Snip them with scissors instead of pulling them out to prevent damage to the roots of remaining plants.
• Water at least one inch per week.
• Weed diligently.
• Fertilize 5-6 weeks after sowing.
• Carrots taste much better after a couple of frosts. Following the first hard frost in the fall, cover carrot rows with an 18-inch layer of shredded leaves to preserve them for harvesting later

 Carrots will be ready to harvest, after 2 1/2 months or when they reach a diameter of 1 1/2inches.

2.) Lettuce. Lettuce is a wonderful cool season crop.  Planting to late in the season can cause early wilting, and low yields.  Direct sowing is recommended as soon as the ground is able to be worked. By sowing early you can get a spring crop, and then replant in early fall for a second late season harvest. Here are few more tips for growing great lettuce.

• Leaf lettuce: Plant 4 inches apart.
• Cos and loose-headed types: Plant 8 inches apart.
• Firm-headed types: Plant 16 inches apart.
• Water thoroughly at time of planting.
• Fertilize 3 weeks after transplanting.
• Direct sowing is recommended as soon as the ground can be worked. Plant seeds ½ inch deep. Snow won’t hurt them, but a desiccating cold wind will.
• You should be able to sow additional seeds every two weeks.
• To plant a fall crop, create cool soil in August by moistening the ground and covering it with a bale of straw. A week later, the soil under the bale will be about 10 degrees F (6 degrees C) cooler than the rest of the garden. Sow a three foot row of lettuce seeds every couple of weeks—just rotate the straw bale around the garden.
• Consider planting rows of chives or garlic between your lettuce to control aphids. They act as "barrier plants" for the lettuce.
• Make sure soil remains moist but is well-drained.
• Retain moisture with mulch throughout the summer months.
• Lettuce will tell you when it needs water. Just look at it. If the leaves are wilting, sprinkle them anytime—even in the heat of the day—to cool them off and slow down the transpiration rate.
• Some thinning may be required for directly sown seedlings; use the space guidelines above.
• Weed by hand if necessary, but be careful of plant roots: They are shallow.

At harvest time cut from the base of the plant, and harvest int eh morning before the sun hits them for the day.  Harvest just before fully mature, and the head will last for a week to 10 days stored covered loosing in plastic in the refrigerator. 

For more planting dates and information visit:
 http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/MI/Jackson

Let's get gardening! Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape can help install a raised garden bed for your vegetables at a great price, give us a call for FREE estimates!

Andy and Courtney Bailey
Greener Solutions Lawn And Landscape
517-945-1204