After a long winter, spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts in the garden. From edibles to ornamentals, many outstanding plants are well suited to spring planting. Getting them in the ground early ensures you can enjoy their beauty and bounty as soon as possible when warmer weather arrives. Here are some of the best choices for spring planting success.
Top Vegetables to Plant in Spring
Plant these cold hardy vegetables 4-6 weeks before your last expected spring frost
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Lettuce – Fast-growing lettuce thrives in cool conditions. Sow seeds or start transplants for bountiful early harvests.
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Spinach – This leafy green also prefers cooler temperatures Plant seeds directly in soil 2-3 weeks before last frost,
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Peas – Sweet snap and snow peas love chilly spring weather. Sow seeds 1-2 inches deep, 2 inches apart in rows.
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Radishes – These crunchy root crops grow fast from seed in just 3-4 weeks. Keep sowing every 2 weeks for continuous supply.
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Carrots – Sow carrot seeds 3 weeks before your last frost for tender early roots Cover seeds lightly with soil
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Beets – Another speedy grower, beets can be planted up to 8 weeks before your frost-free date.
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Potatoes – Plant seed potatoes or cut pieces 4 weeks before your expected last spring frost for an early summer crop.
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Onions – Onion sets, transplants and seeds can all be planted 4-6 weeks before your average final frost date.
Get these quick-growing vegetables planted early for bountiful spring and early summer harvests.
Best Flowers for Spring Planting
Add striking beauty to your garden by planting these hardy, fast-growing flowers in spring:
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Pansies – With their cheery faces, pansies are ideal for spring color. Plant them 4-6 weeks before last frost.
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Snapdragons – These charming flowers thrive in cool conditions and bloom profusely in spring. Start seeds 10-12 weeks before frost.
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Larkspur – Let this cottage garden favorite self-sow for a burst of early color on long-lasting plants. Direct sow when soil warms slightly.
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Poppies – Dainty annual poppies grow quickly from seed and provide early season charm. Sow seeds directly in prepared soil.
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Violas – Cousins of pansies, these bedding plants bloom generously all spring long. Plant 4-6 weeks before frost.
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Dianthus – Also called Sweet William, dianthus blooms abundantly in cool spring weather. Start from transplants or sow seeds.
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Alyssum – Easy to grow, this fragrant ground cover will be blanketed with flowers by mid spring. Start seeds indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost date.
Mix and match these cold-tolerant annuals and biennials for splashes of spring color when you need it most after winter.
Best Shrubs and Trees to Plant in Spring
Spring is prime planting time for many popular landscape shrubs and trees:
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Forsythia – Plant bare root forsythia shrubs in early spring and get blooms the same year. Provides early spring color.
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Lilac – Fragrant and beautiful, lilacs are ideal spring-planted shrubs. Bare root recommended.
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Blueberry bushes – Plant dormant blueberry bushes in early spring and enjoy summer berries. Prefers acidic soil.
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Fruit trees – Apples, pears, peaches, plums – spring is perfect for planting bare root fruit trees.
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Evergreen trees – Plant container-grown spruce, pine, fir, cedar and cypress trees and shrubs in early spring while still dormant.
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Japanese maple – Bare root or container maples thrive when planted in cool spring weather before leafing out.
Get these marvelous shrubs and trees settled in during mild but moist spring conditions for the best establishment.
Quick Tips for Spring Planting Success
Follow these tips when planting in early spring:
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Prep garden beds and soil the previous fall to get a jump start. Add compost and nutrients.
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Wait until soil has thawed fully and can be worked easily before planting. Don’t dig frozen soil.
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Plant slightly early under cloches, cold frames or floating row covers to protect from late frosts.
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Water new plantings gently but thoroughly. Avoid transplant shock by keeping soil moist, not soggy.
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Apply balanced organic fertilizer when planting and side-dress growing plants monthly.
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Monitor for pests like slugs, snails and cabbage worms and remove them promptly.
With the right plant choices and proper care, your spring plantings will leap into lush new growth and abundant blooms quickly after winter dormancy. Get a head start on the growing season by planting these high performers in early spring!
Frequency of Entities:
plant: 15
spring: 14
plants: 8
seeds: 7
blooms: 4
flowers: 4
vegetables: 4
frost: 4
soil: 3
grow: 3
shrubs: 3
trees: 3
peas: 2
lettuce: 2
radishes: 2
carrots: 2
beets: 2
onions: 2
potatoes: 2
Snapdragons Are Great Flowers to Plant for the Bees
When I planted about 20 red snapdragons in my garden last spring, I really did see bees buzzing around every single petal. It was magical.
You can grow snapdragons from seed, but thats an advanced gardening skill. Youll have to start them indoors about two months before theyll go out to the garden. That means I would have to start seeds in December so they are ready to plant in February here in Nashville. I’d rather buy snapdragons than flowers because I can get a lot of good plants without having to start a lot of flowers inside. Its totally worth the investment for me.
If youre shopping for snapdragons at the store, look for plants that are just starting to bud. Theyll transplant better than plants already in bloom.
Leaves, Roots & Fruit Teaches You the Step by Step to Grow as a Gardener
If you had your own kitchen garden, would you want to carry baskets full of tasty food that you grew yourself?
Nicole Johnsey Burke—founder of Gardenary, Inc. , and the author of Kitchen Garden Revival—will show you how to grow fresh, organic food every day of the year, no matter where you live. She doesn’t just tell you how to do something; she also tells you how to make your gardening system more useful and easy to understand.
12 Vegetables You Should Grow in Spring
What plants can you plant in spring?
When the spring weather warms, you can plant carrots, potatoes, beets, and Swiss chard directly in the ground. It’s also a good idea to plant early-blooming flowers like pansies, peonies, hardy geraniums, violas, and winter aconite near or in your spring garden.
Which plants flower in spring?
Some of the best plants that flower in spring are pansies, peonies, hardy geraniums, and violas. These beautiful flowers add color and visual interest while your vegetables are growing. Additionally, they will attract pollinators to boost your vegetable crop yield. Pansies, peonies, hardy geraniums, and violas are some of the best plants for your spring garden.
When should you plant a spring-flowering plant?
Some spring-flowering plants must be planted in the fall to bloom the following spring (), but others can be planted right as spring dawns. Before you do any work in your garden to get those beautiful spring blooms, make sure you have the right gear.
Which vegetables can be planted in spring?
The following leafy green vegetables are ideal for planting in spring: Lettuce is a popular cool-season crop that grows best in spring. You can start lettuce from seed indoors four to six weeks before the last frost, or plant it directly in the ground when the soil temperature is at least 40°F (4°C).