00:00Spring is here, maybe mentioned it a time or two and whether you're new to gardening or you are eager to get your garden ready
00:07It's time for some spring gardening tips. I need them everything I plant dies
00:13Joining us again is nationally known gardening expert Melinda Myers Melinda
00:18Thank you so much for being with us
00:20What types of plants are good to start this time of year and should you start with seeds and seedlings indoors?
00:27You know it depends on where you live and you've really summed it up this year has been crazy weather all across the country cold
00:34Warm cold has gardeners ready to jumpstart the season whether it's appropriate or not
00:39So if you are going to start plants from seeds, and this is a fun thing to do
00:43You can save money some varieties are only available as seeds
00:47But it's a little challenging if you're a beginning gardener, but on the back of this seed packet
00:52You'll find all that you need in terms of when to start it inside when to plant it outside
00:58If you want to start from plants, and I see you've got some pansies, and I have some here too
01:04Violas and pansies sweet alyssum calendula those are all good cool season plants
01:10Greens like lettuce and arugula and spinach love the cooler temperatures
01:16Planting them in a container if you're in an area that gets cold earlier
01:19And then moving them out on those warm days back in in a sunny window on those cold days and
01:26Eventually you can keep them outside. I like to jumpstart the season and so I use row covers
01:32These are fabrics that let air light and water through but trap the heat they also help with insect control as well
01:39And so that's a great way to jumpstart the season
01:41Plus you'll protect your seeds and seedlings from the birds who like to feast on those
01:46Want to save some money how about a milk jug remove the bottom you've got a
01:51DIY cloche to protect your new transplants well you have already given us some tips
01:56But what else can you do to prepare your outdoor garden now?
02:02You know one thing is be slow until the temperatures hover in the 50s if you've got perennial gardens leave those stems
02:09Stay on there a lot of beneficial insects that overwinter can't wait cut them back stack those stems out of sight
02:15So those hibernating can escape leave the stems 12 to 24 inches tall because native bees will hibernate
02:22For your annual gardens, you know there's the way if you want to add compost
02:27Organic matter working it into the top 8 to 12 inches is a great way to prepare the soil
02:34Improves drainage and heavy soil water holding ability and fast draining soils
02:39Some people are doing no dig where they top it with compost and then just pull that compost apart plant their seeds or
02:46Their transplants and then eventually the earthworms take all that good stuff down below
02:52lot lasagna and hugelkultur garden take it one step further where you're basically building a compost pile on top of the soil and
03:00Planting in that great way to deal with tough soils, and if you don't want to wait years for the improvement
03:05It's kind of a jump start for the season. You had me at lasagna
03:09All right, some regions can still see cold nights and a frost or a freeze
03:13So depending on where you live, how long should you wait to plant?
03:16You know the seed packet and your transplants usually give you a time to back up from the last spring frost and we know that's
03:23Variable, but that's a great way to start
03:25So tomatoes and peppers you start those indoors four to six weeks before the last spring frost
03:32We want to wait till the soil temperatures are in the 60s before we put them in the garden
03:37our southern gardening friends are busy getting ready to put some of those already got their cool season things like peas and lettuce and
03:45Broccoli and cauliflower in the rest of us are waiting for a little bit later
03:50But wait till the soils warm as well as the air for things like tomatoes and peppers and impatience and coleus
03:57But again those cool season plants like pansies calendula can go out earlier because they'll tolerate a light frost
04:04But have some protection nearby just in case
04:07gardening expert and maybe we should say expert expert expert
04:14Describe Melinda Myers, but Melinda. Thank you so much for joining us
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