Spring Planting
This is an exhilarating time of year for me - it’s spring planting time!
As mentioned in the General Guide, I love to plant directly in the soil. Whether you choose to plant directly in the soil or transplant from nursery flats or pots, it is my intention for this guide to provide insight that will encourage you to get out into the garden and get a little a dirty, as soon as possible!
I always plant in a bio-intensive planting pattern. I like to start by planting the seeds for herbs that I would like to eat over the next few months. I like to plant herbs first because they lend beneficial elements to the garden, and, well, it just excites me to get them in the ground first. Herbs provide us with many health benefits and are generally the least hybridized plants that we consume. As a side note, alfalfa is one of the most nutritious plants that we can grow. While many people have come to enjoy wheatgrass juice, I feel alfalfa juice is a far superior option. Try planting a small patch of alfalfa for your own investigation and enjoyment. Alfalfa with a small amount of mint makes for an incredible tea. Your body will thank you!
Herbs planted this spring:
Alfalfa
Basil
Parsley
Fennel
Dill
Mint
Thyme
Cilantro
Oregano
When I have completed planting the herbs, it is time to begin planting some of the nitrogen-fixing plants that will lend to the enhanced fertility of the soil as the season progresses. I harvested many seeds from the pigeon pea bushes I planted last year. I really enjoyed the way they grew very quickly and didn’t need much care. Thanks to their rapid growth, they were able to give shade to the soil and neighboring plants. I also like that much of the wildlife enjoy pigeon pea. In many parts of the world people consume pigeon pea. Locally, I found an Indian restaurant that includes pigeon pea in a few dishes when they are in season. I have found these dishes quite delightful!
For the most benefit to the soil, I do not treat all planted nitrogen fixers alike. About 2/3 of the plants I will treat as I would any other plant that I am awaiting its harvest. The other 1/3 I prefer to have for feeding the soil. Do you recall the saying, "give in order to get”…this is true in the garden for sure! A few times a month, while the edible nitrogen-fixing plants are producing flower buds, I will prune back 1/3 of those plants to “Chop ’n Drop.” I do this when I come through to pull or hoe weeds. Imagine, with every cut that you make to the plant, there are roots associated with that part of the plant structure. When we remove those limbs the associated roots will die. It is this action which releases the stored nitrogen from the roots, into the soil. If I am gardening in a smaller space like a garden planter box, I intersperse nitrogen-fixing plants like alfalfa, or red clover around the fruits, veggies, and herbs. If the soil is heavily compacted I plant Daikon radish.
Nitrogen fixing plants planted this spring:
Alfalfa
Beans
Buffalo Berry
Daikon Radish
Lupine flowers
Peas
Peanuts
Red Clover
Now that I have planted the herbs and nitrogen fixers I am ready to plant the things that will fill my plate for months to come. I find eating fruits and vegetables picked fresh from my garden a truly rewarding experience. They have a special 'zing' to them when they are on my plate after being freshly picked. I have seen many children and adults alike say that they do not like certain fruits or vegetables. I love seeing the faces of everyone when they try a freshly picked cucumber, which they swore they did not like, but the freshly harvested ones seem to have a unique sweet flavor or special ‘zing’, which now allows them to reconsider their previous stance on the mighty cucumber.
As we tend to plant the fruits and vegetables that we love, I always encourage folks to grow something that is new to them. A few plants will generally offer more than enough produce to experiment with multiple forms of culinary preparations. While I commonly plant eggplant and okra, as they thrive in this region, I wasn’t feeling it this year. My new plant for the year is Oca. It is a small Peruvian tuber. I have acquired one variety of Oca that supposedly is tasty even when dried, then eaten. It is claimed to taste like a dried apricot. I hear from a friend that lives in Peru that the Oca is not commonly available in the markets of Peru, but most everyone is growing it in their personal gardens and consuming it as a staple crop. I hope my micro-climate and soil conditions will be favorable to these little spuds!
I have found it good practice to plant a few random plants of any of the given crops in other places than where the bulk of that plant is located. This allows me to observe potential areas in the garden that are more preferable to the given crop. If I find a happier location, I will take note in my garden journal for next year’s plantings.
Fruits and Veggies planted this spring:
Beets
Cantaloupe
Celery
Corn
Cucumber
Peppers
Pumpkin
Squash
Sweet Potato
Tomatoes
Watermelon
I do love to plant the classic “three sisters” pallet. You know, the classic corn, beans, and squash. In my studies, I have found that there may have been a fourth “sister” that may have been lost in time. Her name is Marigold. She will bring many benefits to this guild of plants. The marigold’s roots will emit chemicals into the soil that deter pests. You can pluck leaves from the plant and use them in compost tea or make a natural pest repellent spray for other plants in the garden. Then there is the color element. We can always stand for a little more color in our life/garden. There are many varieties of marigold. Find one or three varieties that you find appealing and intersperse them in and around her other sisters.
Now, let's put the icing on the cake. Scatter some wildflower seeds! As gardeners, we play a role in creating conditions which will benefit or not benefit the native inhabitants. For this reason, I find it a great practice to spread wildflower seeds and other known plants that native insects, bees and flutterbys will use for their journey through life. In some species of insects there may be only one plant which the adult insect will lay eggs on!
May your garden bring smiles, abundance and a connection Nature's cycles of life.
