Start the Spring right with simple preparations including amending the soil with compost or other organic matter, mulching the planting beds, and planning your planting schedule for a successful garden.
Adding compost to the soil is an easy fix for vegetable gardens that are getting compacted. Missouri soils tend to be heavy clay and adding organic material is an important step to making the ground friable. Plants can take up the nutrients from the soil more easily when we amend with compost. Compost can be purchased at the store or you can develop your own pile by saving vegetable scraps and coffee grounds etc. from the kitchen. Layer these “green” things in with “brown” leaves, straw, twigs or even black print newspaper. Just be careful not to add noxious weeds and walnut tree byproducts.
Go green and save labor with organic mulches s
uch as wood chips, shredded leaves or straw! These mulches serve a garden well. First, mulch blankets the ground, providing a protection from wildly fluctuating temperatures that affect many plants especially when the seasons change. Second, two to four inches of mulch around your plants helps to keep the soil moist. Why spend the hottest dog days of summer watering? Mulching plants protects them in the summer droughts and you will save time, money and effort. Last, mulch helps to suppress weeds. If you do get a few weeds that manage to get started, they are easy to pull out.
Here at Farrand Farms, we have a great planting schedule for Missouri. Come on in and visit us and we will give you a copy. Some plants love cooler temperatures and will do well in the early season. Others enjoy consistently warm temperatures. It’s important to know the difference. We will be happy to assist you have a happy and successful growing season this year!