Starting A New Vegetable Garden

starting a new vegetable garden

Where in New England are you? If you are in the southern New England states, or in the southern parts of the northern states, you could try getting started today.

Tomatoes need to be started from seed in March or April. They can be transplanted outdoors after the last frost (generally around June 1 in much of New England). Fortunately, nursery growers already thought of that. A few nurseries, Agway, or hardware stores may still have a few tomato starts left. Call up today and try to find them. Get them in the ground by the end of this week, if possible.

Cucumbers like to be started either in May or early June. They are very sensitive to frost, so early starts must be indoors, and they can’t go outside until all danger of frost is over (after June 1, around here). Again, many nurseries carry cucumber starts and you may be able to find some that are already well along, although they will be harder to locate than tomato starts at this time of year.

Onion seeds need to be started in January or February, but most people grow onions from sets (which are small bulbs started last year). Onions sets can be put out as early as April. But if you put some out this week, you might get some moderately sized onions by fall. Check with Agway or other feed stores for onion sets.

Other vegetables that you could put out right now are: pepper seedlings, lettuce seed, spinach seed, mustard green seed, radish seed, brussels sprouts seedlings, broccoli seedlings, dill seed, coriander seed, perhaps even kale seed.

Since time is short, you may run up against the frost in the fall before your vegetables are ripe. Be prepared with old sheets to cover the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. Brussels sprouts taste best after they get frosted, and the other plants can take the frost as well. If you don’t think you will have enough time before the frost for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers to mature, grow them in self-watering containers. That way, you can move the containers inside at night in the fall.

How to Start a Vegetable Garden

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