Today, March 20^th, is officially the first day of the spring season! With warmer weather, the farewell of winter, and an abundance of flowers all around, spring is often a cheerful time for everyone. For gardeners in particular, the spring season means a time to reconnect with the earth as the new growing season begins. With a concentration on seedlings and soil, the first day of spring means that growers and gardeners everywhere are completing yard tasks and planning for the season. Taking a quick survey of your garden is the best place to start. What needs to be removed? What perennial foliage from last year needs to go? Which areas of the garden need to be refreshed with mulch? Asking these questions initially will help to get your spring season planting underway.

Following the “clean-up” aspect of spring planting, growers take these steps and tips to heart as they hope to cultivate a thriving harvest this season:

• Choose which plants you will garden in spring and order them as soon as possible
• Remove all of the dead and damaged branches, shrubs, and other crops
• Test the soil to ensure that the pH level is optimal – do this test is different areas within the garden
• Take time to prepare new planting areas using compost or manure and then a spading fork
• On a cooler, preferably cloudy day, plant your early spring trees, flowers, shrubs, fruits and vegetables
• Water generously
• Apply an organic fertilizer and start with the perennials
• Create a compost pile and add to it throughout the season for homemade compost
• Use leftover coffee grounds on the soil for increase acidity

Spring is an exciting time for growers and gardeners, especially in those southern regions in the United States. Now is the perfect time to start planting things like spinach, carrots, and radishes. These cool-season varieties will fair quite well during this time for year. On behalf of Growers Trust, Happy Spring!