In the Garden: time to make the donuts

In the Garden

time to make the donuts by ray mikula

Just like the old commercial about getting up really early to make the doughnuts, it is now time to be-gin your vegetable garden. Even though we won't see our last frost for about 4 months, now is the time to start preparing for your vegetable garden. If it's your first time, you need to decide where it will go, what kind of garden to have, what you would like to grow, and how many plantings you want for the growing season.

You need a sunny location that gets at least 6 hours of sun per day. Most vegetables need full sun to grow. You might need to take into account HOA restrictions for your neighborhood if your only sunny location is in front of your house. Then decide if you want to plant in the ground, in raised beds or in pots. (Even on an apartment balcony you can have a potted vegetable garden.) Deciding what to grow can be the fun part. What do you like to eat and cook with? What are your favorites herbs? What gives you a good return for your hard work in the garden?

Once you've decided on what to grow you need to find out when to plant. You can direct sow, putting the seeds straight into the ground at the right time of year, or seed indoors early in starter trays timing it right so your young plants are ready to go as soon as possible. Some plants do well in the early spring like lettuce, peas, radishes, onions, etc. Others need warm soil temperatures to get a good start. Online seed catalogs will have a wide variety to choose from, listing information on germination time, time till harvest, and when to plant in your area.

National Seed Swap Day is the last Saturday in January. The Master Gardener Association in our area has a seed swap that day and you can get free seed packs there as well as the chance to listen to speakers with great gardening advice and information. It takes place in Stafford county in the Rowser Building at 1739 Richmond Highway(Previously Jefferson Davis Highway or Route 1) from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm on Saturday, January 28th, 2023. When you plant your seeds indoors, it's a good idea to use grow lights set on timers so they get enough bright light to start as strong seedlings. Many vegetables need 710 days for

germination and then a few weeks in the containers before planting outside so planning early is a must. If you don't want to go the seed route you can buy many varieties of plants at local nurseries or farmers markets starting in March or April.

M a s t e r Gardeners are on hand at many of the farmers markets (Fredericksburg, Rt3 and Gordon Road, and King George) to answer your gardening questions. So while you watch it snow, plan your garden.

RayMikula is a Master Gardener.He has several acres of garden space & has been gardening for 62 years. Before retiring Ray was a Earth Science & Astronomy Teacher

National Seed Swap Day Saturday January 28 Rowser Building at 1739 Richmond Highway(Previously Jefferson Davis Highway or Route 1) 9:30 am to 1:30 pm

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