By Farmer D and Tyson Deal

Wake up sleepy garden heads! Even though your gardens have been covered in snow, spring will be here before you know it. Procrastinators should take heed: the time is now to plan for your future veggies. Eager beavers can simmer down because there is still time to get everything ready for planting season.

Though it doesn’t seem to have much personality, soil should be the liveliest part of your garden. It’s, literally, the foundation of the garden, and the livelier the better. Soil microorganisms are not only beneficial but essential to the life-giving properties of soil. Compost is the best way to get those little critters into your dirt.

To go the extra green mile, take a soil sample and have it tested, or test it yourself to figure out what amendments to add before spring. For laissez-faire types, at least throw some compost on top, because you will have tastier veggies equipped to ward off insects and disease.

Now that your dirt is ready, you can focus on the green. Early February is prime time to get your spring veggies started indoors for late March planting. The Brassica family plants (broccoli, cabbage, etc) like to be planted as transplants, so these are good ones to get started inside. Leafy greens and lettuces are also easy to get growing for a “head” start. Not the seed starting type? Don’t fret, because there are plenty of seeds and transplants you can buy to throw in the ground when the time comes.

In the event you want to get the dirt on dirt or the skinny on seed starting, Farmer D Organics can help. We hold workshops on Sundays, but stop by the store anytime to pick our brain. We’ll help you get growing organically this spring. Check us out at farmerd.com.