You know how it is, the winter seems to drag on forever and you are itching to go and dig in the dirt and plant your garden. Now, it’s bad to jump the gun and plant warm-weather crops early, but you don’t have to wait until the last frost to plant your garden! the Longest Winter Ever will soon be in our rear-view mirror—which means it’s a great time to kick-start your spring garden.
Certain cold-hardy plants can survive a light or moderate frost and prosper even if spring temperatures have not quite stabilized. These plants can thrive in cold soil temperatures, compared to their later season counterparts which need a warmer growing medium. These can all be sown directly into the ground once the soil has thawed enough to be workable.
Carrots, corn, parsnips, spinach, turnips, peas, onions, lettuce, and seed potatoes can all be sown directly into the ground once the soil has thawed enough to be workable.
Some long-season seedlings can also be planted before the last frost. Broccoli, beets, cabbage, cauliflower, and kale can all be started from seed indoors before bringing them out several weeks before your projected frost-free date. Seedlings should be “hardened off,” or brought outside to face the elements during the day for about a week before you transplant them to let the plants acclimate to the elements.
Finding your last frost-free date
To avoid planting too early, be sure to check the frost-free date for your area. You can call your local cooperative extension for the information, but several online search tools will provide the projected last frost date based on your ZIP code.
The National Gardening Association provides a range of dates and the probability of freezing or below-freezing temperatures for each based on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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