March is the time to ramp up our vegetable gardens! Vegetable gardening is a great way to provide fresh produce for your family, and it’s a refreshing way to relieve stress and get some exercise.
The average last frost date for our area is the end of March, so we can begin to plant seeds and transplants of frost-sensitive crops. Try planting seeds for pole or bush beans, beets, squash, cucumber, melons, turnips, and pumpkins. Plant transplants for tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. You can purchase transplants at any garden center or nursery right now.
Prepare your soil by adding 1 or 2 inches of compost. Mix into the soil about six inches deep and be sure to remove clods of soil and other debris. Check the seed packages for the planting depth. A good rule of thumb is to plant at a depth of about three times the width of the seed. Consider how big the plant will get when you are planting your seeds, and space them far enough apart to leave enough room for growth. You can plant a few extra seeds to ensure good germination, but thin them later as you need the space. Seed packets will have spacing instructions. Keep the soil moist to help seeds germinate.
If you are planting transplants, be sure to water them before planting and water well after you plant. You can add some fertilizer to the planting hole to help transplants get a good start. Mix 2 tablespoons of a garden fertilizer like 10-10-10 into a gallon of water. Fill the planting hole with the fertilizer starter solution and let it to soak into the hole. Set the transplant in the hole and firm the soil around the roots. Monitor the weather forecast so you can protect your plants from frost by covering them with freeze cloth or a blanket.
As your vegetables grow, be sure to keep them watered consistently. Plants will be stressed if they get too dry between watering. Fertilizer is also important in vegetable crops because the plants use a lot of energy to grow and produce fruit. Keep them going strong by fertilizing throughout the growing season. For more information about planting, watering, fertilizing, or harvesting, visit our Easy Gardening website at https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/vegetable/easy-gardening-series/ or contact the Williamson County AgriLife Extension Office at 512-943-3300.
