Quick spring crops to grow now
Spring is here, but it’s still going to be several more weeks before we can even begin thinking about planting warm-season crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and beans. But don’t despair, April is a great month to plant a variety of cool-season crops and achieve a quick harvest before that first tomato plant goes in the ground.
Hardy, cool-season crops, like peas, lettuces, kale and many Asian greens, are vegetables that prefer cooler growing conditions. Unlike their warm-season cousins, who will wilt away in temperatures below 50 degrees, cool-season crops will thrive and many are even resistant to frost.
Cool-season crops can be started indoors in late winter or early spring (usually about four to six weeks before the anticipated planting date) to be transplanted out into the garden in mid- to late-April or they can be directly sown once the ground is workable. Transplants may also be available at local nurseries and garden centers.
The beauty of these crops is that many are very quick to mature, allowing you to get a harvest in before it’s time to plant out the warm-season crops.
Perhaps the quickest growing of all spring crops is the radish. Many radish varieties are ready for harvest in fewer than 30 days. Because these are root crops, it’s best to direct sow these into the garden. These are also great for succession planting — sowing a new crop every seven days or so to keep the harvest coming into June.
One of my favorite spring crops to grow is lettuce. There are so many beautiful varieties to choose from and you can begin harvesting leaves in as little as 30 days; full heads in about 50 days. Lettuce can be started indoors and transplanted outside in April or direct sown into the garden. Keep in mind that lettuce seed needs light to germinate, so make sure you sow seed on top of the soil and cover very lightly with a dusting of soil.
Snap peas take about 60 to 65 days to mature, however, you can get an early harvest of pea-shoots. Once the seedlings are 6 to 8 inches tall, snip off the tops, including one set of leaves, and add to salads and stir fry dishes.
Continue harvesting the top 2 to 4 inches of leaves and tendrils every three weeks or so. Direct sow pea seeds into the garden once the soil temperature is about 45 degrees. I find starting peas indoors in early April gives them a bit of a jump on the growing season.
Nothing adds more zip to a dish than spring onions! Most onions are started indoors about 12 weeks before the last average frost, but many garden centers and nurseries carry bunching onion sets or seedlings. The green tops can be cut when they are about 6 inches tall and will quickly grow back. Bunching onions (scallions) are usually ready for harvest with the bulb in about 60 days.
There are many other “greens” that grow extremely well in the spring, like bok choy, kale, arugula, spinach, beet greens and chard. Most of these plants can begin to be harvested at the baby-stage, around 30 days, or grown to maturity — many in as little as 60 days.
Keep an eye on the weather once you’ve planted your crops. Although these plants thrive in cooler conditions, young seedlings will still need to be protected from harsh weather until they are established. A floating row cover or frost cloth is a great option for cold nights. Put your garden to work now by planting a few of these cool-season crops that you can enjoy by the end of May and into June!
Candace Godwin is a Certified Idaho Master Gardener. The University of Idaho Extension, Kootenai County Idaho Master Gardener program is located in the UI Research Park, 958 S. Lochsa St., in Post Falls. Learn more about us at https://www.uidaho.edu/extension/county/kootenai/garden or on Facebook. Visit us in person, email us at kootenaimg@uidaho.edu, or call us at 208-292-2525. IMG services are free to the public.
