Planning is a Big Part
Spring is just around the corner and planning is a big part of the excitement for this coming growing season.
First, if you planted a winter cover crop like fava beans or crimson clover to protect your soil during all the winter rain, you will need to chop and turn (or till) it into the soil. If you added straw over your garden for protection, then you can remove the straw and compost it or leave it to decompose in place while you plant around it.
Next, you may want to test your soil to see if it is deficient in calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), sodium (Na), phosphorous (P), sulfur (S), iron (Fe), copper. Test kits are available at your local nursery or on Amazon. What kind of compost should you add? Try mushroom, seaweed, dried fish granules, coffee grounds, red worm compost. Lots of choices based on your area and your soil.
Then you will want to plan which vegetables, herbs, flowers, etc. to plant according to a growing guide and how much room they will need when they are mature. Lots of gardeners keep a planting/planning log for each season. This way you can track what plants you decided on and when they were started, when you harvested and any problems you may have encountered during the growing process. Or keep it simple and just plant until your garden is filled with all of your favorites.
What you decide on will be based on our hardiness zone 9 (Ocean Shores), because the ground rarely freezes. That will give you an idea of which plants can get through our winters. But most zone 9 areas get much warmer in the spring and summer than we ever do so we have had to compensate for extra wind, a little more precipitation and less heat. Sowing seeds indoors or in the greenhouse works very well. Covering the beds with heavy plastic to protect from the wind and salt from the ocean can also help.
If you are interested in renting a garden plot or volunteering to help in our community garden, please call us at 425-255-4025 or email us at: info@GardenByTheSeaOceanShores.org
Garden by the Sea is located at 824 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW, Ocean Shores (BEHIND TUGBOAT GRANNY’S CHILDCARE).
This article published in March 2022 Ocean Observer.
