It's always great to learn and "grow" in gardening every year - here are some helpful tips we've used and picked up growing vegetables.
DO'S AND DON'TS IN THE GARDEN
1. DO: Sow Cool vegetables like spinach, lettuce, kale, radishes, beets, swiss chard etc. when soil can be worked to get a good harvest for Spring.
2. DON'T: Sow peas, carrots beans, corn etc until the soil warms up more and temperatures don't go below freezing.
3. DO: When planting carrots try mixing seed with a bit of sand. The sand helps with spacing seeds out as well as giving the carrot seeds better germination due to the sand providing good drainage for the carrots.
4. DON'T: Plant vegetables you or your family won't eat. This doesn't mean don't try growing new things! But in my experience, my family and I don't like mustard greens or collards so I don't grow them. This sounds funny to mention but I've actually repeatedly grown crops we don't eat or like because someone else grew them or I thought we'd maybe eat them.
5. DO: Harden off any plants you've started indoors and bought at a garden center or greenhouse. To help your plants acclimate to the outdoors and build up protection from the sun. An easy way to do this is choose three overcast days (or leave in a shady location) and bring your plants out leaving them out all day and then bringing them in at night. After three days your plants should be hardened off and ready to go providing night temperatures are warm enough!
