Getting Ready for Gardening Season: Tips for Spring and Summer Planting
- Xavier Reeves
- Mar 30
- 3 min read
As we step into April, gardeners everywhere are gearing up for their summer gardens. With the arrival of April showers, it’s the perfect time to start planning and planting. I’ve gained a bit of a reputation in my neighborhood as the “crazy garden lady” who’s always up to something unusual in the front yard (where my greenhouse happens to be). I don't mind this reputation, and I often brag about it to my friends.
If you’d like to earn the same reputation—or just grow a thriving garden—here are some key tips to get started.
Preparing Your Garden
I recently had an extra day off work, which I used to prep my garden beds for spring planting. Here’s my process:
Step 1: Plan Your Garden
Before you start digging, map out what you want to plant this year. I have limited space and live in Colorado, where the growing season is both short and dry. That makes it challenging to garden for more than three months of the year. If you rely on your garden for sustenance, that short season can be a drag.
To maximize my yield, I carefully plan for spring, summer, and fall, selecting crops that align with the climate and companion planting principles. Companion planting is an essential strategy—it helps plants thrive by pairing them with compatible neighbors. For example, tomatoes and basil grow well together, but tomatoes and potatoes do not. (Check out my other blog post on companion planting for more details.)
For my spring garden, I’m planting radishes, peas, spinach, carrots, and onions. Radishes, peas, and spinach thrive in cooler temperatures and can be planted directly in the soil, freeing up greenhouse space for summer seedlings. Carrots and onions also prefer direct soil planting, but since a cold snap is coming, I’ll likely cover them to keep them warm.
Step 2: Prepare Your Soil
Even if you’ve let leaf litter and organic matter decompose over winter, your soil still needs a refresh. Head to the store—or, if you’re compost-savvy, use your compost pile—to get some compost. Before buying, measure your garden space; most compost bags cover 1 to 1.5 cubic feet of soil.
Once you have your compost, spread it evenly and work it into the soil. As you do this, keep an eye out for grubs or other harmful garden bugs that could eat your seedlings. While I know I can’t eliminate them all, I remove as many as possible to prevent an infestation. Before killing the grubs make sure to do a quick image search to see what kind it is. Some grubs are good for your garden.
Step 3: Start Planting
Follow the instructions on your seed packets for proper spacing and planting depth. After planting, water thoroughly. Most seeds will start to sprout between 7- 10 days.
If some of your crops won't do well in cold snap consider protecting them. A hoop house (like this one on Amazon) can provide some protection, or you can repurpose plastic bottles by cutting them in half to create mini greenhouses. Another option is to cover your garden with seed-free straw - just make sure it's truly seed-free, or you'll end up growing more straw than veggies.
Starting Summer Crops Indoors
With spring crops in place, it’s time to think ahead to summer. Revisit your garden plan and determine which crops you want to grow. This year, I’m growing lettuce, several types of tomatoes, potatoes in buckets, basil, dill, and a few other favorites.
Check the back of your seed packets—most include planting instructions, including whether the seeds should be sown directly in the ground or started indoors. Many summer crops benefit from an indoor start, giving them a head start before being moved to a greenhouse and then outdoors. Seed packets also list the average days to harvest, and you’ll notice that some crops, like squash, have long growing times. Starting seeds indoors can help you harvest sooner.
Here are the key supplies I use for indoor seed starting:
Table space for setup
I source many of my materials from Epic Gardening, which offers high-quality supplies and fantastic growing tips. Their Instagram is also a great resource for gardening advice. However, some of their items can be pricey, so I also recommend checking Amazon for budget-friendly alternatives.
Now Get Going
There you have it—some essential steps to kickstart your garden this season. I also encourage you to look into community gardens in your area. They’re great places to connect with experienced gardeners who love to share their knowledge. Plus, you might make a new gardening friend!
Happy gardening!
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