Garden Season 2010 Part 2:

1st Half of March:
(calendar for planting times)
This is a transition time in your garden. The winter crops are still producing, some since October or before. If you planted these same crops more recently (see previous post), then you are now beginning to see the harvest.

If you didn't, you can still plant a few and harvest before the 90-100 degree days hit regularly. Select plants with a short growing time so they can get the flowers and harvest on as soon as they can.
Plant where they will have mid-day and afternoon tree shade or solid afternoon shade (like patio or house/wall shade).

For Peas, buy plants or seeds:
If buying, read packages for the ones that have a shorter number of days before harvest (50s-60s vs. 70s days) and plant where they will have mid-day and afternoon tree shade or thick afternoon shade.
Soak the Peas overnight in a cup of water, allowing them to swell, or even for ~2 days until they begin to sprout (rinse a few times a day...) and then plant. This will decrease germination time to just those few days (instead of the 7-14 days as listed on the package.)

You could also try a planting of lettuces, spinach, kale, beets, carrots, and definitely Herbs.
Beets are the easiest of the greens to jump start. Buy beets in the Produce section and take all the leaves off except for the smallest three. Put the beet bulb in water and let sit for a few days. Within a week you can plant in the ground.

Green Beans and Cucumbers (and Armenian Cucumbers) should be started this month as well.

Here are a few others:



For Summer Crops: you can start planting most now and some later.

Find a good place to start a garden and just get going.
Don't be afraid of our dirt. It has successfully grown healthy food for centuries, even potatoes. Just moisten it up so that it is a little softer.
We are blessed with the benefit of year round "warmth". Tomatoes, Peppers, Herbs, Onions, Beets, Kale, Green Beans, and others have all been found to live year after year without having to be replanted. (Some do die all the way down before coming back from the root, others are green year round.)