5 Best Vegetables to Plant in Spring
With Winter coming to a close, it’s time to start your early Spring vegetable garden! While you may think it’s too soon for most vegetables to survive in the cold, there are a handful that actually thrive in these conditions and are able to be planted before the last frost. Take a look at five of the best vegetables to plant in Spring.
Lettuce
Lettuce is truly one of the best vegetables to plant in Spring as it loves colder weather. This vegetable can be started indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost and then transplanted outside or directly sown into the soil outdoors as soon as the ground is workable – or both!
To get your lettuce started, you can either purchase starter plants from your local nursery or decide to start from seed. Many gardeners opt to go the seed route as lettuce is extremely easy to grow, and this way is much cheaper!
Once it’s appropriate to plant outdoors, no matter how you choose to get started, you’ll want to be sure to plant your lettuce in partial shade as it doesn’t particularly care for direct sunlight. Additionally, while lettuce loves the cold and can handle a frost or two, you’ll want to be sure to cover it when temperatures drop or risk losing it.
Kale
A member of the cabbage family, kale is another great vegetable to plant in Spring! Not only is kale a superfood, it also grows super fast, producing edible leaves in just a month.
Like lettuce, kale can be started inside about 4 weeks before the last frost and later transferred outside. Kale is also extremely cold tolerant, so it can just as easily be directly sown into the ground once the soil is workable. If you’re planning on starting your kale indoors, you’ll want to make sure you have a good germination mix, usually consisting of peat moss and fine perlite. Once outdoors, you’ll want to make sure you plant your kale in fertile, well-drained soil for the best results.
Onions 
Onions are another great, cold-tolerant option for your Spring garden!
While onions can be started outside once the soil is workable, as they are extremely hardy, many gardeners opt to start their onions indoors because of the wonderful aroma given off by the plants. If you choose to start your onions inside, ensure they have the same fertile germination mix of peat moss and fine perlite mentioned above. Inside, you’ll also want to make sure you place them in a South or West-facing window as they require full sun.
Peas
On almost every gardener’s list of the best vegetables to plant in Spring are peas! While the previous vegetables on the list are cold-tolerant, none are as hardy as the pea. Peas, like most other legumes, can and prefer to be directly sown into the soil 4-6 weeks before the last frost – no transfer required. While you can start your peas inside, just know that it isn’t a requirement!
When planting your peas outside, you’ll want to be sure they’re in an area of full sun and that you use well-drained soil. For the best results, consider applying a pea inoculant to the seeds before planting. Inoculation with a nitrogen-fixing bacterium allows peas, and other legumes, to better acquire nitrogen in their roots, resulting in greater yields. Inoculants can be purchased at garden centers or ordered online. To apply the inoculant, place the required amount directly into the seed packet and shake.
Spinach
Lastly on our list, we have spinach – everyone’s favorite! Like peas, spinach is another hardy, cold-tolerant plant that can be directly sown into the ground once the soil is workable. You won’t have to wait long to enjoy your spoils as spinach is known to grow extremely rapidly!
For the best results with spinach, be sure to place your crops in partial shade to full sun and use a well-draining, fertile soil with a neutral pH.
Happy Planting!
We hope that this list has been helpful for you! Any other vegetables you want to know about or gardening topics you’d like us to cover? Let us know!
Happy Spring, and happy planting!
