BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — With temperatures warming up this week, now is the perfect time to start gardening.
A spokesperson with North End Organic Nursery says the best thing you can plant right now are leafy greens like spinach, kale, broccoli, and lettuce.
“Things that are leafy are much heartier, especially if you cover them with a little bit of row fabric, it will keep it six to eight degrees warmer in there," said Alyson Burleigh, North End Organic Nursery general manager.
Burleigh says you can start planting leafy greens in March but it is too early to plant other vegetables.
“No tomatoes, no peppers, even if you have a wall of water it is still way too cold. The soil temperature needs to be at least 65 to get any of the hot crops in the ground," Burleigh said.
After you plant your leafy greens, row covers can be used to help protect the garden.
“Your broccoli, your cabbage, your Brussels sprouts they will get aphids, it's pretty much a guarantee. If you cover them early on with row fabric that will keep a lot of those little guys out of there. Also neem oil or spraying them off with water when you see them," Burleigh said.
A common mistake new gardeners make is overwatering their plants.
“If we are not getting any rain, then I go out and check mine every three or four days just to see how they are doing. If it is wet I don't water them, if it is dry I give them a nice sprinkle," Burleigh said.
Another fun thing to plant this season is fruit trees, the nursery has a wide selection of bare root trees.
“Bare root means there is no pot, it's just the roots. It's much easier on the plant, less transplant shock," Burleigh said.
She says fruit trees are fairly low maintenance but you will have to do some upkeep.
“If you let them free they shouldn't grow anymore than 15 feet but a really nice fruit tree should be pruned back to five to seven feet,” Burleigh said.
When pruning your tree, make sure not to cut off more than a third of your tree at a time.
For more information, click HERE for North End Organic Nursery's plant guides.
