Spring gardening: A pair of guides will help home gardeners

Home gardeners know that a little help is always a good thing when starting spring chores.

So, Ward Upham has some good ideas. He’s actively promoting a couple publications from K-State Research and Extension that will help to make some of the tough decisions a bit easier this year.

“Kansans that are new to vegetable gardening often don’t know how much of each crop to plant,” Upham said.

The “Vegetable Garden Planting Guide” provides information on the size of planting needed per person and the average crop expected per 10 feet.

“It also includes a garden calendar highlighting suggested planting and harvest dates,” Upham said. “It details crop specific information, including days to germinate; plants or seeds needed for 10 feet of row; the depth of planting; and spacing within and between rows.”

The publication is available online at https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/mf315.pdf.

Upham noted that the “Kansas Garden Guide” is another helpful guide for gardeners. The 77-page booklet includes sections on planning a garden, composting, improving soil, seeding and planting, watering, insect and disease control, and more.

“There is also an extensive section on how to grow specific vegetables and herbs,” Upham said.

The Kansas Garden Guide is available at https://bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/Item.aspx?catId=534&pubId=8219.

“Both of these publications,” Upham said, “will be useful for experienced or beginning gardeners.”