Donated tomato seedlings from 2023. (Photo courtesy Leifa Gordon)
How are you all welcoming spring? Here at Healthy Lincoln County, we are watching for the returning birds, celebrating the arrival of baby animals on local farms, enjoying this year’s maple syrup, and, of course, getting ready for the growing season.
Many of you have probably already started your seedlings indoors and are even getting ready for some outdoor planting (hoping last week’s snow was our last). If you are like me and are going to depend on someone else to get your veggies started this year, check out your local farms for what they will have to offer at a market or farm stand. If you are looking to save money on seedlings, consider going in on some packets with friends or neighbors. Or if you use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you can use those dollars to purchase food-bearing seeds and seedlings at participating spots, and possibly get a discount or bonus dollars back (check out Farm Fresh Rewards and Maine Harvest Bucks!).
This year my own garden will be small, but I am still scheming and preparing. I have always had a garden, whether a sprawling system of raised beds or just five-gallon buckets outside of an apartment. Some years I have had better luck than others (talking to you, slugs of 2023), but I always come into the gardening season with optimism.
While optimism is important, a few practical tools might also come in handy when you want to start your garden off strong and healthy. Below are some of these tools. You may have seen some of them last year around the same time, but they remain some of our favorites and can be super helpful whether you are planning for your first season of gardening, or your 50th!
Seed starting information and seed starting calendar: mofga.org/resources/gardening/starting-seeds-indoors.
Companion planting: farmersalmanac.com/companion-planting-guide.
Square foot gardening method: squarefootgardening.org/method.
Container gardening: usda.gov/peoples-garden/gardening-advice/container-gardening.
Another great resource for all things gardening is from the University of Maine Cooperative Extension. Here you will find resources on everything from soil health to pest management.
Cooperative Extension Garden and Yard: extension.umaine.edu/gardening/manual.
As you are planning, remember that you can always plant an extra row or container to share with our Grow-A-Row program. Good luck with your garden prep!
