We are entering the season to plant spring vegetable gardens. As the saying goes, “Plant your potatoes on St. Patrick’s Day” or others say to go with Good Friday. Either way, these cool season vegetables can be planted now. But be cautious with your plants, they could be injured by late freezing temperatures or frost events.
Vegetable gardens can be worked in the spring as soon as the ground is dry. Cool season crops such as radish, carrots, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, asparagus, potatoes and peas can be planted from late March through the end of April when soil temperatures have reached a minimum of 4045 degrees Fahrenheit.
Freezing temperatures and frost can always occur through April. Even cool-season crops don’t grow well in these temperatures. If you have a spring garden growing with a frost or freeze event predicted, place a floating row cover or a sheet over the plants to prior to the cold temperatures to protect them from damage. If the cold will be a problem for multiple nights in a row, remove the row cover or sheet during the day once it has warmed up and replace it at night.
