“Spring Is Just Around the Corner”

Things to do now

Test your soil’s pH. Is it acidic or is it alkaline? Test the soil’s level of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium so you can amend it for sowing seeds and transplanting.

There are inexpensive soil testing kits available at garden centers and hardware stores.

We live in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6b. According to the USDA, each gardening zone is divided into two subsets. Zone 6 subsets are 6a and 6b. Zone 6a is a little colder with an average winter temperature of minus 10 to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. Zone 6b is a little warmer with an average winter temperature of minus 5 to zero degrees Fahrenheit.

Check the last frost dates for your area. You can find this information at garden.org and enter your ZIP code for a reading on the first and last frost dates in your town/area. Show Low’s current frost dates show a 10% chance of the temperature to drop to 32 degrees on May 31 and have a 90% chance of the temperature to drop to 32 degrees on April 25. You decide when to plant.

Start seeds for tomatoes, peppers and eggplant now. An excellent way to turbo charge germination is to soak the seeds in a wet paper towel and store it in a baggie or a bowl for a week or two, then plant the seeds. Remember to keep the seeds and soil warm with heat mats during this process. Once the seeds germinate in the soil, shoots will appear within a few days.

Cover the newly planted seeds with plastic wrap or a plastic cover. The heat mat will create condensation and keep the soil moist as the seeds germinate. After two to three days, uncover the soil and let nature continue its course.

On a budget?

Use an egg crate to sprout tomato seeds. As the seeds germinate and grow taller, the plant needs support. Put a toilet paper roll over the plant and add more soil.

Tomato plants have tiny hairs on the stems which are actually, roots. The soil within the toilet paper roll provides a growing medium for the plant. As it matures and develops a strong root system, the toilet paper roll provides vertical stability until it’s ready to transplant in the garden.

Do you have old seeds? Don’t throw them away!

Seeds are viable for a long time except onion seeds.

Check your old seeds’ viability:

• Position 10 seeds on a paper towel and wet it down.

• Put the paper towel in a plastic bag and let it sit for several days. Don’t let the paper towel get dry.

• If the seeds are viable, they will sprout. If five seeds sprout they have a 50-50 chance of growing good produce.

Things to do later

Plant peas, potatoes, parsley and perennials directly in the soil. Exposure to the cold helps the germination process. Soak the peas in lukewarm water over night before planting.

Plan your garden according to a Companion Planting Chart … or not. Some controversy surrounds Companion Planting. I’ll address it next month.

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