The Tasty Garden Vegetable You Should Plant In Early Spring

When March rolls around, gardeners are chomping at the bit to get seeds in the ground. The smell of the sun warming the soil gets our blood pumping, and we can't help but envision the green bounty that will soon be popping up in our well-tended beds. We amateur farmers have all heard that peas should go in the ground by St. Patrick's Day, but what about carrots? These two vegetables that go so well together are both candidates for sowing in late winter.

Carrots enjoy the cool weather and grow well in spring. Getting your carrot patch going at the turn of the season allows them to become well-established before the blistering summer heat sets in. However, lots of sources advise planting carrots only a few weeks before last frost. For many zones, this pushes planting time into late April or May. If your area has a short growing season, will early carrot planting end up being a waste of seeds and time?  As it turns out, carrot seeds are perfectly happy and productive once soil reaches 40 degrees Fahrenheit, which means places as cool as zone 5 fit the bill for a March planting. Even mild freezing temperatures won't do your young carrot crop any harm.

Set your carrot seeds up for success by stacking as many factors as possible in their favor. Choose a spot with deep, sandy, nutrient-rich soil that's well draining and that gets at least six hours of sun but ideally between eight and ten hours of direct sunlight.

Carrot seeds are notoriously tiny, so mixing them with sand can help you distribute them more evenly over your soil. Mixing in radish seeds with your carrots is another way to help distribution. Radishes also help break up crusty soil, and this helps carrots germinate. Plus, your radishes will be ready to enjoy before carrots so their roots won't interfere with your carrots' development. Keep your seeds moist, and you should see their first shoots between 14 and 21 days after planting.

If temperatures in your area fluctuate greatly in spring, you could buy yourself a bit of insurance with this carrot growing hack: Lots of home gardeners swear by covering carrot seeds with burlap to keep moisture in while also allowing light and air to pass through. It may also insulate your carrot babies, as well. Another trick is to cover seeds with a layer of plastic to hold in moisture and warmth. Just be sure to remove it once you notice sprouting.