Spring is finally here, which means it’s time to shake off the last traces of winter and get the garden ready for another growing season. Over the weekend, my son Richard, Emily, and I spent a few hours outside, tackling the first big step—cleanup and preparation.
We started by pulling out dead roots, raking up stems and leaves, and clearing out the winter debris, including some stray plastic bags that had blown in over the season. Emily jumped right in, helping organize our gardening tools and supplies while also tying up some loose poles and fencing that had shifted over the winter.
As we worked, Emily made an interesting discovery—some Daikon radish had managed to survive the winter! It was a nice surprise and a reminder of how resilient some crops can be.
Once the garden beds were cleared, Richard and I turned our attention to the space outside the fence, raking up the leaves, stems, and roots to use as mulch for the raspberry beds—a simple but effective way to nourish the soil while keeping weeds at bay. Finally, Emily dumped bags of crushed eggshells and used coffee grounds onto the upturned soil, boosting calcium and nitrogen levels to enrich the garden for the season ahead.
Now, with the groundwork laid, all that’s left is turning over the soil in the coming weeks and getting ready for planting.
Hardy Vegetables to Plant in April
Even though it’s still chilly in New England, some vegetables thrive in cooler temperatures and can be planted early. These cold-hardy crops can go into the ground in April:
- Leafy Greens: Spinach, lettuce, kale, Swiss chard, arugula
- Root Vegetables: Carrots, radishes, beets, turnips
- Alliums: Onions, shallots, garlic
- Peas: Snap peas and snow peas love the cool weather
- Brassicas: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage
Since these plants can tolerate light frosts, they’ll be fine even if temperatures dip at night.
Warm-Weather Crops Need to Wait Until Late May
While it’s tempting to plant everything as soon as possible, some vegetables need warm soil and air temperatures to thrive. We’ll have to be patient and wait until the end of May—after the risk of frost has passed—to plant heat-loving crops like:
- Tomatoes
- Peppers
- Eggplant
- Cucumbers
- Squash (zucchini, pumpkins, butternut, etc.)
- Melons (watermelon, cantaloupe, etc.)
- Beans (green beans, pole beans, etc.)
- Corn
If these plants go in too early, they’ll struggle in the cold and won’t grow well.
Seeds Germinating Indoors
In the meantime, we’ve started seeds indoors, where it’s warm. Tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants benefit from a head start, so they’ll be ready for transplanting by the time the weather is right.
Final Thoughts
Spring gardening is all about timing and preparation. Clearing out old plant material, enriching the soil with organic matter like coffee grounds and eggshells, and planning when to plant each crop will set the garden up for success. Over the next few weeks, we’ll turn over the soil, plant our hardy vegetables, and wait for the warmer weather to bring out the rest.
It’s always a satisfying process, and with Richard and Emily’s help, the work went faster this year. Now, we’re looking forward to seeing those first seedlings sprout and watching the garden come to life.
What are you planting this season?