Julie Kintzi, Garden Hotline, Seattle Tilth
The battle cry of northwest gardeners this time of year is..."Is it spring yet?" This question is quickly followed by "What can I plant now?" After a long winter and many hardy meals we begin to crave fresh greens on our plates. While buds in the garden begin to emerge, there are many nutritious edibles that you can plant now and enjoy by late spring and early summer. Before starting your edible garden, consider the soil that your plants will be depending on while they grow. A soil test is a great way to get a road map of the nutrition in your garden beds. King county residents can get a free soil test at www.kingcd.org/pro_far_soi.htm through the King Conservation District. After you get the soil test back, contact the Garden Hotline to learn how to improve your soil to get it ready for the growing season. Adding compost to your beds will encourage beneficial microbes that help your plants grow. Compost improves drainage and water retention, and provides a small amount of nutrition. It's like giving your soil, and the life that inhabits it, a well-rounded meal.
Consider which plants do well each month. All peas prefer cooler weather and if the soil is not too wet they will gladly make an appearance this month and provide pods as early as May. They will come up slowly, giving you plenty of time to build a structure for them to climb on. A bonus with peas is that if you plant thickly, you can also eat the greens in a stir fry long before the plants start blooming.
Spinach is next in line. Planting it indoors will give it a boost. Spinach is sensitive to heat, so make sure that after starting your plants indoors you immediately put them outside in a protected area. There are many varieties to choose from, with 'Olympia' being one of my favorites with its thick leaves and reliable production.
Arugula can be planted nearly year-round and will add a peppery kick to any dish. Let it go to seed, and you will enjoy a continual harvest - it might want to take over. If this plant does get bossy at least you can eat it! Swiss chard is yet another green that will "wow" you with its dependability. Like arugula, any variety will provide amazing results. When we think of beets, we usually think of the bulbous root. The greens deserve some attention because they are especially tasty and highly nutritious.
Beets would be best planted on a warmer day or started in a seed tray and planted in the garden two weeks after emerging.
Kale is always a winner in terms of nutrition, ease of growing and productivity. It can be grown year-round if the planting times are mapped out on a calendar. There are many varieties of kale, each with its own unique look. Most are so attractive that you may want to incorporate them in a container garden or amongst your ornamental plantings. Some fabulous varieties that are reliable and delicious too include 'Nero De Toscana' (looks like a little palm tree), 'Red Bor' (magenta with a cool neon pink mid rib) and 'White Russian' (lacy and very sweet). Broccoli is another plant that is a two-for-one vegetable. Most people don't know that they can eat the leaves too. The leaves are thick, taste like broccoli heads and are produced in abundance. Try them in a little stir fry while you wait for the heads to appear. Lettuce is a staple that may seem common, or even boring, to plant. With so many varieties and types of lettuce available, this edible can be quite exciting. And it can be planted now in well draining soil since the seeds can germinate in soils as cold as 40 degrees F. For a thicker leaf, choose a romaine lettuce like 'Little Gem'. Butterhead lettuce is juicy and crisp and the variety 'Speckles' has attractive burgundy spots. Loose leaf lettuce is great for harvesting a little at a time. 'Red Sails' is a very reliable producer. And for extra crispy, check out the crisphead variety 'Reine Des Glaces'.
Now imagine a glorious salad made with all of your spring produce. That's inspiration enough to start planting no matter what the weather is doing. Happy growing!
Learn more about growing fresh vegetables by taking a class from Seattle Tilth: http://seattletilth.org/learn/classes-and-workshops/adultclasses sorted or pick-up our books the "Maritime Northwest Garden Guide" or "Your Farm in the City" http://seattletilth.org/get-involved/buystuff
If you have any gardening questions, contact the Garden Hotline at (206) 633-0224 or help@gardenhotline.org
The Garden Hotline is managed by Seattle Tilth and sponsored by Seattle Public Utilities, the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County and the Saving Water Partnership.
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