We may be at the hands of things like weather and frost dates, but proper planning for your spring garden can go a long way.
January in Arkansas can bring anything from 60 degree days (like today) or a negative windchill with three inches of snow on the ground. Planting outside something like a greenhouse isn’t sustainable, but planning for this year’s garden is.
Figure out Your Frost Dates
The magic of planting in zone 6b comes in being able to plant some crops twice over. However, you have to keep frost dates at the top of your mind. Planting a second batch of zuchinni during the fall to avoid pest pressure only works if it doesn’t freeze on the vine prior to being picked.
Consider Companion Plants
Did you know nightshades and berries don’t like each other? I didn’t either, until I realized putting my raspberries, strawberries and blackberries by my potatoes was what was preventing my potatoes from taking off.
Intimate knowledge of every single plant isn’t what’s going to help your spring garden succeed. But taking each season to learn two or three more companion plants is the steady growth you, and your garden, will benefit greatly from.
Need some meal planning tips? Check out this blog post.
What About Weeds?
You hear talks about “pest pressure” and “weed suppression” in the gardening sphere. But somehow, it can still be a surprise. This year, we have a few recipes in our back pocket we will be relying on to get ride of pests. Now to figure out our weed suppression plan…
BONUS TIP – Thoroughly Wash Last Year’s Materials
In my garden I dealt with snow mold that spread from my pumpkins to my squash. When looking up preventative measures, I found that similar cases of molds and funguses could spread from garden season to garden season because things like seed trays, tools and gardening gloves weren’t properly cleaned. Wow! Sanitizing seed trays is definitely a step I’ll be adding to my preparation this year.
Want to continue the conversation? Find me on Facebook and Instagram!
Oh my goodness! I have been so hit and miss on social media lately, and had forgotten about a few conversations I’d had with you in Instagram DMs a year or so ago! We are in Star City now (AR) and I would LOVE any guidance on garden planning!!!
Hey, Melissa! Thank you for your kind words. However, I’m not sure I was the one who helped you out on Instagram! You can find me over at @thelearninglifeblog to be sure. I’ll be putting more gardening posts up in the coming weeks – be sure to check back!