It’s been a long, very cold winter in Central Texas, but the time to dust off your gardening tools and start planning for your planting! This post is all about laying out a comprehensive spring planting guide. We’ll go over deciding what to plant, when to plant and how to plant around your deck.
When to Plant in Central Texas
Spring planting can be tricky when it comes to timing. Technically you should be planting a season ahead, so fall is when many of the spring plants should be planted and prepped. Spring is the time to begin preparing for summer plants.
February is when you need to start prepping your yard for spring planting. Tasks include:
- Getting your compost underway.
- Clearing out planting areas of debris and dead plants.
- Pruning plants, especially perennials and trees.
- Plan out your spring planting – what you want to plant and where.
- Prep the soil, testing it if need be to ensure it’s got a balance of nutrients.
That said, there are plants that are perfect for planting in February and into the spring. However, there isn’t a huge window between the bitter cold of winter and stifling heat of summer. Jumping the gun on your spring planting could prove detrimental if there is a late cold snap. On the other hand planting too late could cause your yield to be low.
To circumvent the issue you may want to consider staggering your planting by doing a small planting early on at the end of February or beginning of March, then another a little closer mid-to-late March or early April.
What to Plant in Central Texas During the Spring
Figuring out what to plant starts by first consulting the USDA Planting Zone Guide. Central Texas is primarily in zones 8a, 8b and 9a. Anytime you buy plants or seeds the zone should be noted.
Get your spring planting started early in February with:
- Perennials
- Starter seeds
- Potatoes
- Cabbage
- Onion
- Kale
- Carrots
- Swiss Chard
- Spinach
- Lettuce
- Roses (bare root)
- Snapdragons
- Pansies
Continue planting the plants above in March. Below are some additional suggestions for what to plant this month:
- Tomatoes
- Planter perennials
- Broccoli
- Collards
- Mustard Greens
- Peas
- Radishes
- Basil
- Beans
- Squash
- Beets
- Eggplant
- Pepper Plants
- Watermelon
- Decorative Kale
How to Plant in Central Texas
Unlike our friends farther north, in Central Texas we a lot more flexibility in what we can plant and where we can plant it. The possibilities are nearly endless, but today we’ll focus on how to plant around your deck during the spring.
- Build a garden box or planters into the deck. This is a great way to transition from the yard to the deck, especially if you build the box or planter along the outer edge of the deck or up alongside the stairs.
- Create beds around the perimeter of your deck. Right now is a great time to start building your beds. Add a lot of soil so that they are raised up and won’t collect water. Focus on an area that isn’t going to be overshadowed by the deck so plants get plenty of light throughout the day. Also, don’t put the beds so close that the soil butts up against the wood surfaces.
- Add potted plants on the deck. This is a particularly good option to start with in February and early March, because you can always bring them indoors if there is a late freeze or frost.
No matter where you plant, it’s important to give all freshly planted plants a jolt of nutrition. Use a starter solution like compost tea or soluble fertilizer right when you plant and repeat every few days for at least the first few weeks.
One way to jump off your late winter/early spring planting is to start your seeds indoors. This is a good idea for plants that aren’t extremely hardy like tomatoes.
Don’t over plant. Sure you want to get a good yield, but over planting could lead to one of two things: plants that don’t have enough room to fully mature, and an overabundance that ends up getting wasted. In planters and garden boxes you have to be particularly mindful of planting only what the space can accommodate.
Image Source: Flickr.com
Original Source: http://timbertownaustin.com/landscaping-and-design/when-how-where-spring-planting-guide-for-around-your-deck
