Early Spring Veg You Need To Grow

Spring is almost here and with the new growing season about to start here are some early spring veg you need to grow in your garden this season!

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Tune in to listen to the podcast or read on to see the veggies you can start growing, even though it’s chilly outside!

 

Spring is an exciting time of year from baby chicks hatching and spring lambs being born to the first sight of lush green growth and early flowers.  Springtime is a fun time of year for suburban homesteaders because it is time to start sowing the bulk of your vegetable seeds.

Spring, however, is an unpredictable time of year with the weather and it isn’t quite yet the time to be setting out heat-loving warm-weather crops in the garden but there are plenty of early spring veg which you can be sowing seeds for which can take the erratic spring weather!

Early Spring Vegetables To Grow

Hardy, frost tolerant vegetables are the key to a great spring garden!  Many of these vegetables are easy and quick to grow and a great start if you are a first-time gardener!  Read on to find out what you can sow before spring is even here!

Peas

The first taste of peas straight off the vine in late spring is absolutely divine!  Peas are a cool weather crop which deteriorate in hot weather. 

Sow seeds directly in the garden four to six weeks before the last frost date in spring.  Provide a trellis or poke in some twiggy sticks into the ground to act as supports for the pea vines to grow up.   Dwarf varieties grow great using twiggy sticks as a trellis!

Sow pea seeds about 1⁄2 inch deep and about 3 inches apart. Keep the area mulched to retain water and keep the soil cool.

Some varieties you can try include:

• Snow Pea – Carouby De Maussane
• Snow Pea – Golden Sweet
• Dwarf Pea – Desiree Blauwschokkers
• Dwarf Pea: Grey Sugar
• Early Garden Pea – Kelvedon Wonder
• Garden Pea – Lincoln
• Garden Pea – Green Arrow

Related Post: Types and Benefits of Mulch.

Broad Beans (Fava Beans)

An early crop of broad beans is one of my favorite vegetables and can be sown as soon as the soil can be worked in spring.  Some of my favorite varieties are Aquadulce, and Windsor.

Spinach

Dark green spinach in spring is wonderful and really easy to grow.  I broadcast sow or lightly scatter the seed on a garden bed but you can sow in rows if you prefer and provide about 12 inches of space between plants.

Spinach is fast growing and is a cut and come again leaf plant which likes well-rotted compost adding to the soil before the seed is sown or the plant is transplanted. 

Sow about 4 to 6 weeks before your last frost date in spring.  Bloomsdale Longstanding spinach is my favorite variety to grow and is ready to harvest in about 50 days.  

Carrots

Pulling your very own carrots from the soil is so much fun and incredibly satisfying no matter your gardening experience level!

Start sowing carrot seeds thinly 4 weeks before the last expected frost date.  You can mix the seeds with some sand to ensure they is plenty of space between the seeds you have sown.  Ideal spacing is about 2 inches between seedlings. 

Carrots love a light fluffy deep soil. but if you have heavy clay try growing round, short or stump varieties of carrots, like Oxheart, Chantenay or Parisienne.  Ensure that the soil is kept moist whilst the seedlings are getting established.

 

Cabbage

Early spring cabbages can make some truly wonderful dishes like sauerkraut, stir fry, bubble and squeak and paleo wraps. 

Sow cabbage seeds 6-8 weeks before the last frost under a floating row cover or in seed starting trays in a cold frame.  Space plants about 20 inches apart so they have enough room to grow.

Some varieties to grow include:

• Early – Charleston Wakefield
• Early – Early Jersey
• Very Early – Greyhound

Related Post: How To Build A Cold Frame.

Lettuce

Many lettuces can be started 2 – 4 weeks before the last frost date under a floating row cover or in a cold frame.  Lettuces are a really easy beginner crop to start in your garden.  A mixed salad leaf variety can be sown with 4 inches between each seedling whilst varieties which form heads like cabbage need about 10 inches between the plants.

I love growing oak leaf, butter lettuce and romaine types in my garden.

Beets

Fresh, organically grown beets have a wonderful sweetness when roasted and tossed in rosemary-infused olive oil and garnished with shredded mint leaves and goat cheese crumbles.  Grow your very own beets in a rainbow of colors by sowing seed 4 weeks before the last frost in spring ensuring 5 inches between each seed.

Beet seeds are clusters of seed so you will need to thin (remove the weaker seedlings) to maintain the spacing.  You can sow beets every 2 weeks for a longer harvest.

Beets love well-rotted compost in the soil before you sow seed so be sure to add a few shovelfuls of your homemade compost!

Try growing:

• Red – Bulls Blood (also wonderful leaves for salads)
• White – Albino
• Yellow – Golden
• Pink Rings – Chioggia
• Dark Red Rings – Early Wonder

Learn more about growing beets in this post.

Radish

These peppery roots are quite possibly the fastest veggies to grow and love well rotted compost in a moist soil.  

Sow radish seed about 1/4 inch deep in the bed you want to grow 4 weeks before the last frost in spring,  Radishes grow best with a spacing of 4 inches between plants and are so easy for beginners to grow!  Some fast cropping varieties include French Breakfast, Early Scarlet Globe and the speedy De 18 Jours.  De 18 Jours can be ready to harvest in 18 days!

Asparagus

This vegetable is a perennial meaning it will grow back year after year in your garden.  Asparagus roots are known as crowns and need to be carefully placed in a permanent position in the garden.

Plant asparagus 3 feet apart and about 3 inches deep and add compost to the bed.  The crowns need to be kept moist and mulching with straw will help them establish.  Asparagus needs to be left alone for 2 years to allow the plants to fully establish before you can harvest but, they are well worth the wait!

Related Post: Growing Perennial Chives.

Chard

Rainbow or Bright Lights are popular colorful varieties to grow and the Perpetual Spinach variety is delicious!  Sow 2-4 weeks before the last frost allowing about 8 inches between plants.  

Chard is a cut and comes again vegetable which can be picked young and used in salads or larger leaves used in stir fry and soup.

Read more about how to grow Swiss Chard here.

Broccoli

Our hands-down favorite broccoli is Romanesco and Purple Sprouting Broccoli.  Sow the seeds of these wonderful brassicas in the ground 2-3 weeks before the last frost date.  Broccoli needs 1-2 feet of space between plants and really appreciate a thick layer of mulch to keep moisture in and the weeds out.

 

Parsnips

These creamy carrot looking roots have a long growing season and need to be sown directly into the soil about 3 weeks before the last frost.  Parsnip seeds take a long time to germinate so be sure to label where you sowed the seeds.  Many gardeners plant them with radishes so they know where they planted them as the radishes will be ready just as the parsnips begin to sprout.

Rhubarb

Another perennial that makes wonderful desserts!  I love Victoria and Glaskins varieties of rhubarb.  Start the rhubarb seeds about 4 weeks before the last frost in spring in a cold frame.

Choose a spot in the garden that is semi-shaded if you live in a hot climate and work in plenty of well-rotted manure to the site before planting the seedlings or crowns.

Related Post: Build A Cheap Cold Frame.

 

Potatoes

Early variety potatoes like Red Norland and Yukon Gold can be planted under a hoop house or in the greenhouse 6 weeks before the last frost date allowing you to harvest late spring or early summer!

Add a generous scoop of compost to the planting hole and plant your potatoes about 10 inches apart.  Cover the planted spuds with straw.

Related Post: How To Grow Potatoes.

Kale

A hardy and reliable loose-leaf cabbage, kale has many raving fans for soups to smoothies!

Sow kale for baby leaf salads about 6 weeks before the last frost in spring.  You can start them in seed starting flats in a cold frame or sown directly under a floating row cover or hoop house.

Great kale varieties to try include:

• Forage Kale Proteor for salads
• Nero Di Toscana 
• Russian Red

Sea Kale is a perennial variety of kale that can be grown year after year for easy harvesting and growing!

Heat Loving Vegetables

At this time of year, you want to start your warm-weather crops like tomatoes, chili peppers, okra, and tomatillo indoors if you haven’t already.  Give yourself plenty of space to pot on the seedlings into larger containers indoors.  

Start to harden off your plants by placing into a cold frame or greenhouse a couple of weeks before the last frost.

There are many vegetables you can sow for spring and by using floating row cover or 6 mil greenhouse plastic, you can turn your raised beds into a hoop house and start many plants 6 weeks earlier!  If you are new to gardening, peas, radishes, lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, and potatoes are really easy to grow for your very first harvest.

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