UPDATE: Make the most out of your garden by planting something fresh and new this spring.

Revamp Your Garden Before Spring

A thriving garden can provide a bounty of fresh produce all season long. For some, planting a garden might be an annual task, for others, it might be something they never thought they had the space to do. No matter if you’re re-planting or starting fresh, here are some tips to make the most of out of this season’s garden.

Plant Something Different This Year

While tomatoes, cucumbers and zucchini might be your garden staples, try planting different varieties of produce this year, focusing on things you can’t buy at the grocery store. Between heirloom varieties and exotic produce, the sky is the limit. Here are heirloom varieties to try this season:

  • Lemon Cucumber
  • Mortgage Lifter Tomato
  • Blue Hubbard Squash
  • Jimmy Nardello Sweet Pepper
  • Trout Black Lettuce
  • Padron Pepper
  • Moon and Starts Watermelon
  • Bulls Blood Beet
  • Dragon Tongue Bush Bean

Or try planting some exotic fruits, vegetables and herbs to take your dinners to the next level. 

  • Mexican Sour Gherkin
  • Watermelon Radish
  • Carrot Dragon
  • Napa Cabbage
  • Pak Choi
  • Chinese Flowering Leek
  • Thai Dragon Pepper
  • Cilantro
  • Lemongrass
  • Chinese Daikon

Plant a Portable Herb Garden

Planting a portable herb garden, one that can be moved from indoors to outdoors, gives you the ability to start gardening before spring. All you need is a pot, adequate drainage and sunny spot. Many potted herbs, like basil, rosemary, mint and oregano, are available year-round in grocery stores, or you can grow your own from cuttings. Once the weather warms up, you can move your herb garden outside to take advantage of the warm summer sun.

Try Container Gardening for Small Areas

If space is limited, try planting a container garden. Windowsills, balconies, patios or door steps can all be used for container gardener. Planting in containers makes the plants more accessible and its an easy way to get kids involved. Almost any vegetable can be planted in a container, but some do stand out, including tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce and radishes.

Starting from Scratch? Use RM18

If you’re starting over or starting from scratch, you can use RM18 to get your plot ready for planting. Our five step process includes:

  1. Completely drench the soil and plants with water before applying RM18 to keep the soil hydrated before planting.
  2. Mix six fluid ounces per gallon of water of RM18 and apply it with either a tank sprayer or hose-end sprayer. Spot treat or spray evenly over 300 square feet. Water the area again after two or three days.
  3. After seven days, reapply RM18 to any areas where green still remains. Wait another three days, re-water, then get ready to rake up the soil.
  4. Rake up the soil or till, breaking up any large chunks of soil and removing roots or extra plant matter.
  5. Plant your vegetables, fruits, herbs and shrubs according to each plant’s label. Gently cover the seeds with dirt and water in well. 

Let Ragan & Massey help you get the most out of your garden. You can find RM18 online or use our Where to Buy page to find it locally.