Edible transplants have arrived!

 
Transplanted spinach

Sunday, March 14, 2021

For those that don't have a lot of time, are just getting started in gardening or just want a jump on harvests, transplants have arrived at the big box stores!  I start seed and buy transplants every year.  This time of year, I will purchase spinach plants and interesting lettuces.  I have seeds started as well, but purchasing plants will give me bigger plants to start harvesting from in a couple of weeks.

There were many herbs, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onion sets, and lettuce plants outdoors yesterday here in our area.  There should be many more coming in the next couple of weeks.  Chard and spinach should be next.  The transplants you buy should be hardened off and ready to plant in the garden.

Inside the stores are racks of seeds and barefoot edibles and flowers.  You can buy onions, asparagus, all kinds of berry bushes and fruiting vines bare root.  Be sure to get any bare root plants into soil as soon as you can.  You can put them in a pot until your garden is ready for them.

I have been buying any shallots I see that are sprouting in the grocery store and planting those in the garden.   Root crops in the produce section are treated to not sprout so not all will grow.  The exception is organic; they aren't treated with chemicals.  If you buy ones that are sprouting, you have a good chance they will continue growing in your garden.

It's time to get planting!