SOUTHEAST BOISE, Idaho — For many people in the Treasure Valley, it feels like the right time to start digging in the garden. We spoke with local garden experts to get an idea of what we can plant right now and what crops it may be too early for.
- Still the possibility of frost and cold nights ahead.
- Warmer weather crops like tomatoes and basil shouldn't be planted outside quite yet.
- Heartier crops like lettuce and onions can be planted now.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
"You know, as soon as the sun comes out, we get a lot of phone calls about what we can grow right now," says Jamie Brennan is the owner of Gold Feather Gardens.
She runs a company that helps people build and maintain kitchen gardens in their homes. She says there's no better time to start your garden than right now.
"This is a great time to be gardening the spring greens and peas and onions. They're really really easy to grow, especially herbs," says Brennan.
But Jamie tells me that some popular crops just aren't quite ready to get in the ground.
"Definitely those warm season crops, the tomatoes, the peppers, basil, needs it to be really really warm to thrive so I would hold off on any of those things," says Brennan.
Some crops that like the cooler weather include lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and some herbs... while others really require warmer weather like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and zucchini.
Jordan Risch owner of Jordan's Garden Center says that this time of year they see quite a few newcomers to the world of gardening... encouraging first-timers to try something new
"Well, it can be kind of intimidating, but you know this is what people have been doing for years. We just experiment with it, we have fun and the worst case is you're gonna learn something from it," says Risch.
Jordan told me a common mistake new gardeners make, is planting too many seeds of a certain plant at a time, things like pumpkins take up a lot of space when fully grown so it is important to plan ahead.
After all this work and planning... Jamie says that the veggies you grow at home won't even compare to what you get at the grocery store.
"And they're so much fresher and healthier and tastier when it comes from your own garden," says Brennan.
