https://pixabay.com/photos/seedling-gardening-greenhouse-5009286/
There is a lot of work to prepare a garden for planting. Timing plays an important role, especially in Indiana. The last frost must be behind us and the dirt dry. Sometimes in the spring, the soil will be muddy from the winter thaw, and the spring rains. I spread fertilizer once the earth is dry using a walk-behind spreader that evenly distributes. I like to turn the dirt over three times before planting. It allows the soil to breath, removes weeds, and generates plenty of worms for the Robins that are returning from last fall’s journey south. The troy built tiller is my companion and turns the soil with ease. The southern part of Indiana has sandy soil, which is easy to till.
Zinnias are the first to go into the ground. They are flowers that grow two to four feet tall. They are colorful, easy to grow, and a favorite for hummingbirds, butterflies, finches, and bees. Then the green beans, black zucchini, and lettuce. I planted sweet corn at one time, which falls into the same planting window but abandoned the crop. Raccoons love sweet corn and kindly help themselves. It would be acceptable if they would share the crop, but they do not. I have a post coming in the wildlife section about raccoons and sweet corn. Lastly comes the plants: Tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, and sunflowers. The plants go last, hoping to avoid a late frost. Past years the garden was planted beginning May 1. I learned there are two problems with that date. First, I been caught up in a late frost and had to cover the garden with blankets to save the plants. Secondly, the soil temperature is still cold. The plants will grow but slowly and have less produce. The zinnias are a great indicator of soil temperature. If the soil is too cold, it takes two weeks or more for them to peak through the soil. If the soil is warm, the zinnias fly out of the ground in two to three days and grow fast and tall. Please look at the garden gallery for photos of the seeds and plants.