Preparing your Garden for Spring
Preparing your garden can be a daunting task, especially in the Poconos where winter can last well into the spring. Pocono Organics Agricultural Director, Tim Wilson shares his advice on preparing your home garden for a fruitful season, no matter the weather.
What are some things home gardeners can do now to prepare their gardens?
“Send a soil sample out for analysis. Add amendments such as compost and/or organic fertilizer. Till soil mechanically or turn by hand. Determine where you are getting seeds or plants from and shop for them. Start seeds indoors if desired.”
What plants, if any, can be planted now?
“Home gardeners can get an early start by directly sowing peas, radish, spinach, carrots, and leaf lettuces ‘as soon as soil can be worked’ or, in other words, not frozen and dry enough. A few weeks later, whether you have started them indoors yourself or buy them as seedlings, it will be time to plant somewhat cool tolerant transplants of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and Swiss chard. *Even cool tolerant plants will benefit from protection on nights with frost.”
Are there certain plants that you have found grow better in this region than others?
“Cold crops such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and kale, as well as lettuce and Swiss chard, consistently perform on top of the Pocono Plateau. The time period of hot weather is a somewhat limiting factor for heat loving crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and sweet corn.”
What are some natural ways home gardeners can deter deer and other regional pests from getting to their gardens?
“The best way to deter deer is a physical barrier like a tall fence (8ft+). A low fence with small holes can help keep critters like rabbits and groundhogs out. Cloth barriers can be used to keep insect pests out and off plants. Planting insectary areas to keep insect populations balanced between predators and prey can also be helpful. Bird/bat houses are another way to enhance nature’s controls on crop pest insects.”
What is your personal favorite spring plant to grow?
“Peas are the quintessential spring crop and my favorite early crop to grow. Plus, there are several types of peas (shelling, snow, and sugar snap), so you can grow several types.”
Bonus Question: What are some of the happenings this time of year at Pocono Organics?
“This is a very busy time of year at Pocono Organics. On top of our year-round production of microgreens and mushrooms, we now have the greenhouse planted and growing and are starting plants for retail sale and field production…We will soon begin preparing our fields to receive transplants, starting in about mid-May.”
Looking to jump start your garden this year?
