SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio’s average last freeze of the season is around Feb. 24, which means it’s time to get your seeds in the ground for your veggie garden.
Seeds are great, because you get a small package with so many of them. Not only are they way more affordable than buying transplants, you can experiment what works best to have the most fruitful harvest.
KSAT 12 visited Rainbow Gardens at 8516 Bandera Road for some advice about planting.
“Right now the best seeds to sow are beets, carrots, turnips, greens like chard, lettuce and spinach,” Robin Norton, of Rainbow Gardens said. “You can also plant potato seeds now, through early March.”
Norton said come early to mid-March you can sow things like green beans, cucumber, eggplant, corn, cantaloupe and summer and winter squash.
Here are some things you need to know:
- Much depends on the plant, so you’ll have to do your research. Make sure you have at least 12 inches of soil in depth and plant seeds by allowing a foot to a foot an a half of space. For example one squash seed can spread and grow 1.5- 3 feet, so keep that in mind while sowing your seeds.
- Seed depth will make or break you. Small seeds like carrots, greens and lettuce only one fourth to half an inch deep, think of it like a light dusting of soil over them. Remember when you water your seeds, it can push them further into the soil, so consider that when sowing them.
- Large seeds like beans, corn and squash one to one and a half inch depths.
- Always read the back of the seed packets, as they tell you exactly when and how to plant.
In the KSAT garden is turnips, beets, carrots and green beans and potato seeds. Potato seeds require a little more work and next week you can learn the easiest way to grow potatoes.