Source: Rick Durham, Department of Horticulture extension professor 

 

Looking to get a jump on your garden this year? Even if the temperatures haven’t soared into the typical “planting season” range yet, you don’t have to wait to start growing some of your favorite vegetables. Many cool-season veggies like radishes, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and onions can be planted in Kentucky from mid-March to early April. These hardy varieties can handle a bit of frost, making them a perfect choice for early spring gardening. However, another useful technique for getting a head start is creating a mini greenhouse in your garden bed.  

Before you jump in, make sure to prep your soil by turning it over or lightly tilling it. Next, for a couple of weeks, lay some black plastic film over the area you plan to plant. The black plastic works like a cozy blanket for your soil, soaking up the sun’s warmth and helping the earth underneath to heat up faster. By the time you’re ready to sow seeds or transplant your young plants, the soil will be a few degrees warmer—just enough to give those early vegetables a significant advantage. 

Once the soil is warmed, remove the black plastic and get your plants in the ground. After planting, you’ll want to build a simple frame around your garden bed. You can use wood, metal, or even PVC pipe—whatever you have handy. Cover the frame with clear polyethylene film to form your mini greenhouse. Weigh down the edges of the film with boards, bricks or stones so it won’t blow away in the wind but will still allow easy access to the plants inside. This clear cover protects tender plants from chilly spring temperatures while still letting in that valuable sunlight. 

Of course, plants still need air circulation and watering, so remember that you’ll have to check on them regularly. On warm, sunny days, it’s crucial to lift part of the plastic cover to let fresh air in; otherwise, your mini greenhouse could overheat. Remember to secure the cover to the ground again on cold nights.   

Using this covering strategy can extend your growing season by a month or even six weeks on both ends, meaning you’ll start gardening earlier in the spring and keep going later into the fall. (There is no need for the black plastic soil pre-treatment for fall planting.) In fact, if Kentucky’s climate stays mild, some tough cool-season crops like spinach may stay alive throughout winter under this protective setup but may be damaged if temperatures drop to the single digits or below. Better yet, once you remove the plastic as warm weather arrives, you can use the same bed for summer crops like tomatoes or peppers—just remember they need plenty of time to mature if you’re planning another round of production under plastic in the fall. 

For more information on producing a successful garden this year, contact your local (COUNTY NAME) Extension office.    

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The University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment news and communications team provides monthly Extension Exclusives in the categories of Horticulture, Agriculture and Natural Resources, 4-H and Family & Consumer Sciences. To see more exclusives, visit https://exclusives.ca.uky.edu. 

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