Gardening Expert Melinda Myers joins AccuWeather in sharing some gardening tips to begin the early start of the spring season, including which plants she recommends planting at this time of year.
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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