Pre-Planting Season Tips...

Many seeds will not germinate in cold soil and in fact may rot. One tip master gardeners do is place clear or black plastic over the area to be planted a week or so before planting if the soil is too cold to germinate. This gives you several weeks jump by planting in a warm soil bed. Some large hard seeds can speed germination by soaking them overnoght. these include corn and beans. Another good resource that many gardeners enjoy is the two early Saturday morning garden talk shows. One is on KSL called the Green House the other is on KVNU 610 locally hosted by Marc Anderson of Anderson Feed and Seed In buying vegetable seeds you cannot beat the wide variety of bulk seeds available at Anderson's. Another plus is that Marc and his staff are quite knowledgeable and they have planting guides and variety recommendation sheets which are very helpful. Be aware that experts are predicting shortages in and price increase on vegetable seeds this year. Get yours early while the weather is crappy. There are shorter lines. Some varieties are already sold out and others are in short supply. Make sure you store your seeds in a secure environment. Last year I left mine in my garage and the mice had a feast before I could plant some of them. Some gardeners store their seeds and packets in glass jars. This is a good idea,as they wont get wet or eaten by mice and you can see them at a glance. Don't forget USU extension service. They have a wealth of materials and resources which are very good and directed at our local climate. They can also put you in touch with a list of Master gardeners who are highly trained gardeners I our area who have taken on a commitment to provide a certain number of service hours each year. They can be wonderful resources. Remember not to get too anxious in working your soil to plant. If you till wet soil, particularly if you have clay, you will have unmanageable clods all year long to contend with. A good test is to grab a large handful of the soil and squeeze it into a ball and drop it. If it crumbles in your hand or breaks easily when it is dropped, go ahead and work the soil. If it forms a solid, wet ball and doesn't break when it falls, you are too early While manure and amendments are wonderful for gardens, they need to decompose and mix in with the soil. If you apply it and integrate it now, it may be "too hot" high in Nitrogen and other chemicals and will stunt or kill the seeds and plants you plant. Fall time is the time to work in organic material. Carefully aged compost can be used with caution during the gardening season. Our expert in residence in this his area is Floyd Faucette. Speak with him about more details and your own specific concerns.