Vegging Out This Spring

Vegging Out This Spring

An often asked question is "Can I grow food at this time of year?" To which I answer, "Sure you can!" Here are a few recommended crops for early spring in this cold weather.

Lettuce: Cool, wet springs are perfect for growing lettuce as it won't bolt and you should get multiple harvests out of each plant. Plus it is simply crisper and tastes better when grown in cooler temperatures.

Peas: Traditionally St. Patrick's Day has been the time to plant your first peas, but planting in April is fine as well. Peas prefer warmer temperatures, but they don't like the heat. Peas are known to grow well after the last frost. Snow Peas and Sugar Snap Peas do especially well in these conditions.

Rhubarb: Rhubarb is a cool season crop that is grown for it's leaf stalks which are both sweet and tart. It is great for pies... or tarts and is a perennial too!

Spinach: Spinach loves cool weather and is a quick grower, so you'll have to keep planting new spinach to extend the harvest. It is great in salads, hot or cold. Mmmmm!

Other cool weather crops including both vegetables and herbs are:
Parsley: Both a traditional curled and tastier flat leafed Italian varieties are available.
Cilantro: Quite flavorful!
Dill: Good with fish, and great for pickling!
Swiss Chard: Great in salads and full of nutrition too!
Arugula: Also called rocket is full of peppery goodness.
Onions and Chives: A perennial crop that adds zest and flavor to any meal.

So there you go! Have at it and start planting your spring crops today to enjoy them tomorrow! Well not really tomorrow tomorrow, but you know what we mean.