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Green Thumb Gardening: Time to start planting vegetable gardensBy David Coltrain Walnut Creek Extension District, Agriculture Agent Normally, even with lingering cold weather, March is the time to start planting vegetable gardens in Kansas. Spring fever may promote the temptation to start planting too early. From my experience, gardening works best if you follow the standard planting schedule for your area. Peas are the first vegetable to plant. As soon as the soil temperature reaches 40 degrees, plant your peas. Of course, the soil has to be dry enough to work. Peas come in three main types: 1) regular English peas that have to be shelled when mature, 2) sugar peas that you eat the complete immature pod as stir fry or in salads and 3) sugar snap peas that are similar to green beans in that the whole pod is consumed. Sugar snaps are my favorite type and my grandkids, too, as they like to eat them raw straight from the garden. Early March is also the time to plant salad ingredients including lettuces, radishes, and all types of salad greens. Seeded greens and lettuces are usually ready for harvest about 40 days after planting. The list of lettuces and greens for salads is amazing. They add all kinds of intriguing flavors to salads. Potatoes are usually planted in mid to late March. The soil temperature needs to be at least 50 degrees to keep the seed pieces from rotting. Cut seed pieces in between golf ball and tennis ball size and let the seed pieces heal over a few days before planting. Apply lime to speed healing. Plant seed pieces about one foot apart and cover at least one inch deep. As the plants emerge, pull soil over the shoots so the planted tubers are four inches deep. Covering the seed pieces with straw is an option that works well. Recommended varieties include: white skinned--Irish Cobbler, Kennebec; red skinned--Norland, La Rouge; russet skinned--Norgold; yellow skinned--Yukon Gold. Mid to late March is also onion planting time. Onions may be grown from sets, transplants or seeds. Sets are usually sold without knowing the variety and are used to produce green onions. Onion seeds take a long time to mature and most home gardeners do not attempt to grow them. Onion plants produce large attractive onions and are readily available from garden suppliers. For a sweet onion, grow Texas Sweet 1015Y that has similar genetics as the famous Vidalias grown in Georgia. Broccoli and cabbage transplants are hardy enough to usually plant in late March. Hardened off and toughened plants can withstand temperatures down to about 24 degrees. Cauliflower plants can only withstand temperatures of about 28 degrees. All three of these cole family crops can survive lower temperatures, but could suffer injury known as buttoning that refers to small mature heads. Other vegetable crops to plant during March include beets, turnips, kohl rabi, and asparagus roots. Asparagus roots are planted at least 12 inches deep and as the young shoots emerge, cover them with soil. The March Green Thumb News newsletter is now available and contains a Garden Calendar and 11 articles with information on Vegetables, Trees, Lawn Care, and Flowers. If you would like to receive a copy and be on the monthly mailing list, please e-mail me at coltrain@ksu.edu or call the LaCrosse Extension office at 800-460-9079. 3/10/08 Date: 3/3/08 Advertisement
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