It’s More About You Than Your Plants – Spring Gardening Tips

On a chilly late March morning, Farm and Horticulture Lead Instructor Bob Minton and two Seed-to-Plate youth, BK and Prince, were at the Ozanam Campus garden preparing for the upcoming strawberry planting.

Following several days with temperatures fluctuating from the 50s to the 90s, the trio were in the garden digging up strawberry plants and separating the “mothers” from the “daughters” – the new growth, to replant in a few weeks. “Strawberry plants typically grow for four to six years, and this is our fifth year with these plants,” Bob said. “We want to have everything ready to plant in mid-April, and we will harvest them through the end of June.”

Bob and the Seed-to-Plate team tend the 1.5-acre farm on the Ozanam Campus. They grow a variety of crops that provide food for youth at Ozanam and other Cornerstones of Care locations. Last year’s harvest led to eight gallons of canned tomatoes. The crops aren’t for sale, but budding gardeners can purchase plants at the annual Thyme for Kids Plant Sale at the Ozanam greenhouse on April 24 and 25.

Bob, BK, and Prince offered some advice for people who are new to gardening. If gardeners are looking for warm weather planting, such as tomatoes, peppers, and flowers, they will want to plant in May. Planting can take a variety of forms, from raised beds, to small backyard gardens, to growing plants in planters or buckets. Planting will require a blend of soil and compost for the best results. Bob suggests reaching out to either the Kansas or Missouri Extension Office to learn more about your soil composition or to take a soil sample to ensure you will get the best results.

Planning your garden is an important first step, and a well-planned garden leads to a better chance of a strong harvest. Bob suggests getting familiar with the Kansas City Community Garden website and its resources. The Community Garden is a Build Trybe community partner, which provides advice, resource guides, workshops, and more for home gardeners.

The metropolitan Kansas City climate provides spring, summer, and fall planting seasons. With a well-planned garden, home gardeners can rotate crops to plant and harvest for about nine months of the year.

The Community Garden offers a planting plan that includes a map to plan your growing space to scale, and Community Garden members can access a calculator that will let you know harvest times for crops based on planting dates, along with which crops to rotate in future seasons to best manage the soil. The website also provides resource guides for specific plants with tips for the best possible harvest. Whether a novice or experienced gardener, Bob says the experience is worth it.

“My advice is just to do your best. I didn’t grow up gardening, and BK and Prince didn’t grow up gardening,” Bob said. “It’s okay if you kill a couple of plants. It’s not okay to not try.”

As he was preparing the soil, BK added a longer-term perspective. “I like that we are creating something that will last a long time,” he said. “We are leaving something for people long after we move on.”

Build Trybe teaches marketable skills in building trades, culinary experience through Seed-to-Plate, and skill-building in Conservation/Landscaping. The program does not use state funding, and you can support Build Trybe here.

Don’t forget the Thyme for Kids Plant Sale on April 24 and 25 at the Ozanam Campus.