Spring Vegetable Gardening

A Little Help from Friends

Shortly after I was hired at Harris County Public Library, I took on the task of managing our community garden.  There were only 12 raised beds at the time, and five of them were dedicated to vegetables and herbs; the rest were for flowers and ornamentals.  This was before I became a Master Gardener, so I was slightly overwhelmed!  Fortunately, someone was kind enough to mention that Houston Urban Harvest had a community garden program that would help non-profit organizations with their gardens.  They provide starter plants and fertilizer at the beginning of Spring and Fall, and they also hold yearly fruit tree distributions.

Getting Started

My first year was challenging; I had zero experience with vegetables!  Like most of us, my idea of getting fresh vegetables was in the produce department at HEB.  Urban Harvest helped make my first experience growing vegetables super easy.  I picked up the starter plants and fertilizer from the distribution location and was ready to begin.  The first year, we were given cucumber, butternut squash, cherry tomato, and eggplant starter plants.  I don’t remember all of them being a success, but I had fun watching them grow.  If this is your first gardening experience, here are four things you need to consider when planning your spring vegetable garder                           

• The area you have available for your garden
• The amount of sunlight the area gets
• The vegetables you actually like.
• The amount of time you can realistically devote to the care and maintenance of your garden.

The following vegetables work very well for spring gardens: 

Herbs aren’t exactly considered vegetables, but they sure do complement, and now is the time to start with your basil, cilantro, rosemary, and parsley.  Start them now so you won’t need to buy them at the store!

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has a lot of great info for local gardeners — beginners and longtimers alike. Here is a handy guide for planting dates.

Vegetable Garden Planting Dates | Español | Mandarin/普通话

Tips for a Healthy Start

Use the right soil for your situation

Starting off with the right soil is so important.  At first, I added garden soil to the beds.  After I learned more about gardening, I realized that there is a specific type of soil for raised beds.  Raised bed soil provides excellent drainage and aeration, crucial for healthy root development and vegetable growth. 

Learn how to control garden pests

Insects in the vegetable garden suck…really, that’s what they do!  There are actually two types of insects that feed off of vegetables: Suckers and Chewers.  You will encounter these pests when growing vegetables this spring.  Luckily, Texas AgriLife has a very helpful resource that will help to you recognize the two types and how to control them. Easy Gardening: Insect Control

If this is your first time, go with starter plants rather than growing from seed

For first-timers, I would recommend getting starter plants to guarantee success.  After your thumb gets that green tint, you can try growing from seed.  Harris County Public Libraries have seed libraries now, so be sure to stop in and give it a try!  The last thing to remember is to rotate your crops every year.  This will help increase your yield, combat pests and pathogens that target specific plants, and improve biodiversity above and below the ground.

Always Try Something New

This year, my new project is corn.  I confess, I don’t know much about it!  I cleared the bed late last year and planted Elbon rye grass as a cover crop during the cold months.  The bed had evidence of root rot, and rye grass helps with this problem.  I tilled the rye grass in the bed about two weeks ago and added compost.  On the first of March, I will add fertilizer and plant my first selection of corn.  About three weeks later, I will add my second corn selection.  I will compare the two types as they grow and use a refractometer to measure their sugar content when they’re ready to eat.

Try to have fun learning new methods in the garden, a wise gardener once told me that there are never any mistakes, only experiments!

This month on the “Green Thumb” Program, the topic is "Spring Vegetable Gardening" Master Gardener Andrew Johnson, breaks down all you need to know about Spring Vegetable Gardening.

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