The Best Veggies To Plant In Spring
April is the time to get out and start planting in your garden. Because we have a long growing season, there are a few veggies we can get two crops from each year if we get them in early enough. Here’s a list of the best veggies to plant this spring in April, May, and June here in Powell River.
Veggies to Plant in Spring: April
In early April, the soil is still cool, so it’s the perfect time to plant veggies that prefer cool temperatures for germination. Remember that you can succession plant greens like kale, lettuce, and Swiss chard. To enjoy fresh greens all season long, plant a new row of these veggies every two weeks all through spring.
Our average last frost is usually in the last 10-15 days of April, so it’s good to be aware of that when you’re planting your veggies in the spring. Most of these crops are hardy enough to take a light frost, so don’t worry about them too much. You can cover them overnight with an old sheet if you think there will be a hard freeze.
- Beets
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Peas
- Radish
- Swiss Chard
- Potatoes
Veggies to Plant in Spring: May
The spring weather is warming consistently, if slowly, in May, so you can get a few of those less-hardy veggies planted out in the garden. Chances are good that the weeds are also growing well now, so stay ahead of them so that they don’t get out of control! The more frequently you chop off the tops of weeds when they’re very small, the better chance your spring-planted veggies will have of growing big and healthy. In May, you can plant:
- Kale
- Lettuce
- Onions
- Peppers
- Spinach
- Swiss Chard
- Tomatoes (Plant in late May once night time temps are consistently above 10˚C)
Veggies to Plant in Spring: June
Things are starting to get pretty warm by June, so it’s time to plant those veggies that prefer nicely warmed soil for germination. Early June should be your last succession seeding for plants like lettuce, kale, and spinach. They prefer cooler weather for germination. If you did several plantings in April and May, you should still have lots of delicious greens to harvest for most of June and July.
- Beans
- Brussels Sprouts
- Corn
- Cucumbers
- Kale
- Lettuces
- Spinach
- Squash
- More tomatoes!
Throughout the spring, there’s plenty of weeding to be done after you plant your veggies, as well as all the other typical yard and garden maintenance. It’s a busy time of year, but also very hopeful and refreshing.
If you’ve never tried succession planting before, why not give it a shot this year? If you plant veggies that mature fast in the spring, like beets, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, kale, cabbage, lettuce, peas, and spinach, you can often get at least two full crops during our long growing season.
Longer maturing crops, like peas, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, and beets, should be planted twice for succession. The first set should be planted in the spring, and then the second set should be planted in late July or early August to squeeze in one more veggie crop before the frost hits.
Now that April is here, it’s time to get growing! Visit our garden centre to explore the many wonderful veggie seeds and starter plants you can try out this year.