THE DIRT
Time to get your soil tested. Submit one pint of air-dried soil to your county extension office so you’ll know the exact amount of fertilizer and other amendments to add before planting. Most offices perform this service for free.
The Site
Before choosing a garden site, make sure you know how much sun the area receives. Most vegetables need at least six hours of direct sun. Others, like cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower, can handle a bit more shade.
The Space
Make the best use of a small space by inter-planting. Plant okra, eggplant, peppers or tomatoes in between rows of early cool-weather crops. You’ll have harvested the early crop before the ones you inter-planted become too large. Also, consider vegetables that don’t use much space. Think small plants in close rows, such as radishes, turnips, lettuces, beets, spinach, chard, cilantro, mustard, and onions.
TIP: Know the mean date of your last frost before placing plants or seeds in the ground. Typically, the mean date in zone C (Sebastian County, Arkansas) is around April 1st.
What to plant: (only a partial list)
Lettuce
Brussels Sprouts
Kale
Carrots
Radishes
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Broccoli
Turnips
Swiss Chard
Beets
Irish Potatoes
Onions
Spinach
English Peas
The closer the vegetable is to the bottom of the list, the closer it should be planted to the end of the month.
