Getting started gardening

The amount of daylight we are experiencing is increasing every day, possibly increasing your urge to garden.

Yet that might not be the best idea since our chances for frost are not over. On average, the last date for a frost (temperature at or below 32⁰F) is between April 15 and April 22. Yet a light frost can occur after those dates. Therefore, when deciding to start your garden, it is best not to place any plants outside until after those dates.

At this time, the best thing to do if you are a true fan of gardening is to plan your garden and start growing any plants you can indoors. When planning your garden, you need to determine how big a space you have for your garden, what you want to plant, and when the item should be planted. The size of your garden determines how many different varieties of plants you can grow. Make a list of the different plants you want to grow, their spacing requirements, light requirements, and when the best time to plant them is. It might be helpful to draw a diagram of your garden at this stage to get a visual idea of what your plan of attack will be.

Once you know what you plan to plant, start looking for seeds. While looking for seeds, make a list of when those plants can be planted. Realize that not all plants can be grown indoors and transplanted and that not all plants can go into the garden at the same time. Take for instance sweet corn. Sweet corn is a warm season plant that does not grow well during extended cool spells. In comparison, cool season vegetables like broccoli and radishes can be planted early.

A way to speed up your time from planting in your garden to harvesting your wonderful produce is by starting your seeds indoors. Starting Seeds Indoors is an excellent extension publication that you can obtain online for free from Purdue University to help you get started. It provides you with steps on how to get the garden started, what and when to plant the seeds, and how to transplant them into the garden. The Starting Seeds Indoors publication can be found at <https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/HO/HO-14-W.pdf>.

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Upcoming Events:

Feb. 23 – Pasture Lease Workshop, 7 pm, virtual, register at
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Mar. 2 - Securing the Future: Organizing the Farm & Farm History webinar, 6:30-8:00 pm,
             Register at https://bit.ly/securingthefuture2026

Mar. 2 – ServSafe Food Manager Day Class & Examination, 8:30 am – 4:00 pm,
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Mar. 9 – Securing the Future: Difficult Conversations webinar, 6:30-8:00 pm, Register at
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