This is the time of the year that greenhouses start their plants.

When the ground is not frozen you can prepare it. Turn the dirt, pull weeds, add compost, turn it again.

Start seeds in your house at the time recommended on the seed pack. Set out the seedlings when the last frost date for your area is past. For Virginia that is mid May. Your area may be later or earlier.

It really depends on where you live. You need to figure out planting times for your frost zone. There are plenty of books or magazines that explain this, and I’m sure you can find advice online. For early plants, start your seeds indoors or buy mature plants once planting is safe in your area.

It is never too early and rarely too late!

What zone you live in is key.

In Florida we garden year round. Vegetable gardens are in the spring and the fall. By May when it gets hot the veggies will mostly be done. So you have to back up four months.

If you live in snow country, I would say as soon as the ground is soft enough to work.

Check the last frost date for your area (on the USDA zone map) and plant accordingly. If you are staring seeds, read the packet. The package will tell you how many weeks of growth is needed before they can be planted outside. Your goal is to plant after the last frost date for your area. At that point you can plant seeds and transplants. Remember the cool weather plant lovers like spinach, broccoli, sweet peas, greens, pansies and many others can be planted or started outside prior to the last frost date tpo. You can also spend time in the garden prior to planting by spreading compost and sprucing up the beds.

There are gardening pleasures all year.

If you have sunny window or a shop light, start tomato plants as early as possible. Don’t worry about them getting too tall (leggy) because the entire stem is storing energy.

When planting time comes, lay stem sideways, about 3 inches beneath surface. All that extra root area will translate into bumper crops. Remember not to over fertilize after planting out. Tomatoes won’t set fruit if there is warmth and nitrogen.

Big, hard to transplant crops like squash/melon/cukes become very unwieldy. wait till a month before last frost.

In Las Vegas, we crow cabbage family through the winter.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter when YOU want you vegetables to be in full bloom…it’s all up to them. If you plant some vegetables too early, they will not set correctly. Most tomatoes should be in no later than Mothers Day ( depending on your USDA zone )…and peas, carrots, beets and most lettuces can be planted early spring and again in early autumn for a nice fall harvest. Google USDA zone maps and then check with your local nursery for the best time to plant.