Vegetables To Plant In Early Spring

Are you excited? Spring has finally arrived! Here are 10 of the best vegetables to plant in early spring. The days are getting longer and warmer, so it’s time to get outside and get your hands dirty. One of the most enjoyable things you can do in your spring garden is to get out there and start some new veggies.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start planting! The best spring vegetables in my opinion are spinach, lettuce, peas, carrots, potatoes, broccoli, cabbages, beets, collard greens, and kale. These veggies are easy to grow and will give you a head start on your spring garden. Happy planting!

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Early spring vegetables. What are they?

Essentially they are Cool season vegetables that you sow in the spring. That’s not to say they can’t be planted again in late summer for a fall harvest. Cool season vegetable crops are capable of resisting colder temperatures but don’t fare well in hot weather. Here are a couple of examples. Collard greens will taste sweeter after a light freeze, and lettuce will “bolt” and go to seed in hot temperatures.

When is early spring?

Depending on the year, the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere is March 19, 20, or 21, and in the southern hemisphere, it’s September 21, 22, 23.

There is no exact science to knowing when to sow your early spring vegetables. It all revolves around the last frost date. that’s when the last light freeze (29-32 degrees F) will happen. It involves a little bit of risk. Most cool season vegetables can survive a light freeze.

The USDA has a Plant Hardiness Zone map that tells you what the average minimum winter temperature is for your area. Once you know what zone you’re in you can look up your last frost date

I would suggest making things easy. Go to The Farmer’s Almanac, they have a Planting Calendar where you can input your zip code to find out what should be planted and when.

How can I tell when it’s time to plant?

You’ll want to plant cool season vegetables at the end of March or the beginning of April, depending on when your last frost is set to happen and what the current weather conditions are.

If you are planting in the ground or a raised bed, the earliest plants can go in as soon as the ground is not frozen. If you work the dirt a little bit and it is not soaking wet or frozen, then you can put in your earliest, most cold-tolerant plants.

Here is where the seed packet comes in very handy. it has a lot of information about the seeds you are planting.

You’ll want to plant cool season vegetables at the end of March or the beginning of April, depending on when your last frost is set to happen and what the current weather conditions are.

Here is where the seed packet comes in very handy. it has a lot of information about the seeds you are planting.

Top 10 Spring Vegetables

Spinach

(Spinacia oleracea)

Zones: 2 to 11
Sun Exposure: Full/Partial
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant: When the soil thaws
Start Indoors: No

Spinach loves the cold temperatures and needs an early spring start. Sow seeds directly in the garden, as soon as it can be worked. Usually 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring frost. The big thing to remember is that most varieties don’t like heat, so plant it early in spring.

Spinach is a great choice for those who want to eat healthy, nutritious food all year round. Not only can you harvest it multiple times but this leafy green is delicious either eaten raw or cooked. I’m a fan of chopping it up and putting it in my scrambled eggs along with a little cream cheese.

Lettuce

(Lactuca Sativa)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant:Early spring

Lettuce is a cool weather annual vegetable in the aster family. Like spinach, it’s a fantastic leafy green to plant early in the spring season. Lettuce thrives in the cooler months of spring, which won’t cause it to bolt like the hot days of summer do.

Since lettuces are cold tolerant, the Soil temperature isn’t as critical. Lettuce seeds will grow in soil that is as cold as 40°F. You can begin spring planting as soon as you can work your garden. Or, start the seeds indoors and transplant them outdoors after the last spring frost date.

The flavor of lettuce varies from sweet to peppery and spicy, depending on the variety. One of my favorite things to do is take a head of Romain, split it lengthwise down the center, brush it with olive oil put some salt and pepper on it, and put it on a hot grill.

Garden Peas

(Pisum sativum)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Partial shade
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant: As soon as the ground thaws

Sugar snap peas are an excellent early crop for those with a sweet tooth. Sugar snap peas have edible pods, so pick them fresh off the vine and eat them whole.

There are different types of peas. Garden peas (aka Sweet peas), Snow peas, and Snap peas.

Sweet peas, These are shelled peas you don’t want to eat the pods, they also go by garden peas or English peas
Snow peas, they’re the ones in stir fry. They have flat, edible, stringless pods with small peas.
Snap peas, have large/full-size peas inside thick, edible pods.

They are all cool-season vegetables. Direct sow them in very early spring, as soon as your garden can be worked. This is usually when it starts to thaw. You can sow seeds directly into the ground. They have fragile roots so you don’t want to transplant them.

Carrots

(Daucus carota)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained, Sandy
When To Plant: Before the last frost

Carrots are a cool-season biennial vegetable that is grown as an annual. They like full sun and fertile, moist, well-drained soil. sow them about 1/2 inch deep and 1-2 inches apart in rows 12-18 inches apart. Thin the seedlings to 2-4 inches apart when they are about 1 inch tall.

Most people think of carrots as root crops, but they are actually the green, leafy tops that grow above ground. The root is the edible part of the plant. They are one of the oldest vegetables known to man and were originally grown for their medicinal properties. Today, carrots are eaten mostly for their nutritional value and flavor. They are a good source of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber.

Potatoes

(Solanum tuberosum)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant: As soon as the ground thaws

Potatoes are a staple food for many people, and they can be grown in just about any region of the world. They are an excellent source of vitamin C and contain significant amounts of potassium, iron, and fiber.

Potatoes should be planted early in the spring before the last spring frost has passed. They should be planted every 12 inches, in rows spaced about 3 feet apart. In Ireland, like peas, it’s traditional to plant them on St Patrick’s day. They need a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained, cool, loose, soil.

Put the seed potato pieces directly on the ground if your soil is rocky. Sprinkle with a 50/50 mix of dirt and compost. Cover them with straw or leaves, and as the potatoes grow keep hilling up the material. You can even grow them in big tubs or baskets.

Broccoli

(Brassica oleracea – Italica group)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant: Before the last frost

Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse. It’s an excellent source of vitamins C and K, dietary fiber and chromium, and a very good source of protein, vitamin A, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, and potassium. Broccoli ranks among the world’s healthiest foods. and has even been dubbed the “crown jewel of nutrition.”

Plant in rows 3 feet apart with plants spaced 12 to 20 inches apart. You can plant them closer together and you’ll get smaller main heads, but more secondary heads.

Broccoli takes a long time to grow, so be patient! Once you’ve taken the main head of a broccoli plant, it may continue to produce smaller side shoots for months.

Cabbage

(Brassica oleracea – Capitata group)

Zones: 3 to 10
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Needs: fertile, well-drained
When To Plant: Before the last frost

Cabbage is often referred to as the “king of vegetables” because it offers many health benefits including being an excellent source of vitamin C and dietary fiber. It also contains important nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Cabbages grow best in cool weather so plant them in spring. It can be grown in most parts of the United States. They need full sun and fertile, well-drained soil. Space plants 12 to 24 inches apart in rows 3 feet apart. The closer you plant them the smaller the heads will be.

Beets

(Beta vulgaris)

Zones: 2 to 11
Sun Exposure: Full/Partial
Soil Needs: Well-drained, light, and sandy
When To Plant: Very early spring

For many gardeners, beets are a bright, cool-season plant, that is easy to start from seed in well-prepared soil and develops fast in full sun. They are a fantastic option for northern gardeners since they can withstand very low temperatures, even a hard freeze. This makes them ideal as a fall crop as well.

It’s best to sow beets in the garden once they start growing you don’t want to disturb their roots. After you sow the seeds, half an inch deep and 1 to 2 feet apart in rows that are roughly 1 foot apart, cover them with a thin layer of garden soil.

Collard Greens

(Brassica oleracea – Graminifolia Group)

Zones: 4 To 9
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Needs: Fertile, Well-drained
When To Plant: As soon as the soil thaws

Collard greens are a cool season vegetable that in some cases can stand temperatures of 20 degrees F or less. They taste sweeter after a light freeze, so for your spring planting use transplants and put them out just before the last light frost. Set them 18 to 24″ apart in rows 3 feet apart in deeply dug well-drained fertile soil.

Collards are a very nutritious vegetable, a great source of vitamins C and Beta Carotene, as well as fiber. They’re low in calories and high in protein, vitamins, and minerals. Collards do not head even though they’re a member of the cabbage family. They’re harvested for their leaves.

kale

(Brassica oleracea var. acephala)

Zones: 9 To 7
Sun Exposure: Full
Soil Needs: Light, well-drained
When To Plant: Early spring

Kale is a member of the Brassica family, it’s a hardy cold-weather champion that thrives in the spring and fall. The pleasant, nutty flavor of this highly nutritious leafy green becomes more apparent during cool weather.

Spring is an ideal time to start kale from seed indoors and to set out young kale plants as early as 4 to 6 weeks before the last spring freeze (in well-drained, light soil). In rows 18 to 30 inches apart, space 18 to 24 inches apart.

Kale does best in full light, although it can withstand some shade. It’s adaptable in the garden, growing well in traditional gardens, raised beds, or containers.

So what are you waiting for?

Start looking for signs of spring!

The days are starting to get longer, the temperature is gradually rising, and the trees are starting to bud. It’s safe to start planting your cool weather crops around the time of the last light frost in your area.

Get out there and enjoy the fresh air while you ready your garden, and plant some spring vegetables! You’ll be glad you did when you’re enjoying the delicious bounty of these 10 healthy plants.