Spring Planting Tips
Have you noticed summer is not here and the squash are coming up and the basil is returning? My students are asking me, “Do we plant winter, spring or summer seed and plants?”.
Yes, I say! If you have a cool partially shaded garden, you may still be successful with winter crops. Pick varieties from hot areas like Italy, Spain, Australia and Tucson that are appropriate for late winter planting. You could be pushing your luck here, but you may be in a cool micro climate. Be sure to have shade cloth ready for hot days over 80*F.
Spring crops are already having a short season this year. Plant if you’ve a cool garden and again keep your shade cloth out for those hot days.
To plant summer varieties in a warm garden there will be no need for shade cloth here! However, if you plant for summer now, ready your winter protection for action. There’s plenty of time for a freeze! Since 1996 I have seen it snow twice in early April.
Yes, January and February are both spring in Tucson, but what do we plant now? Pretty much everything, just use late varieties from hot country.
Use your planting guide with the germination temperatures listed on each vegetable. Then get your meat thermometer that goes down to 0*F. Put your thermometer down into the soil about 1 inch and from your thermometer reading choose your veggies.
Remember…there are two big seasons here in Tucson, winter and summer. Winter varieties are leafy, they make flowers and then seed. Summer veggies have fruit that comes from a blossom.
Yeah, now you’re rollin’, aren’t you😊
