Spring in the mountains is a bit like a moody teenager—bright and hopeful one day, sulky and frosty the next. But if you know how to read the signs, you can coax out an early harvest and get a big jump on the season ahead.
Start by thinking of salad—not salsa. Cool-season veggies like lettuce, spinach, peas, radishes, and bok choi thrive in our cool spring temps. While leafy greens may not be as glamorous as the summer garden stars, they are quick, prolific, and happy to go in the ground before your tomato dreams are even close to reality.
Feed your soil first. If you are growing in soil (as opposed to bagged potting mixes), send a sample to CSU or Ward Labs every few years. This is the best way to know what your soil needs because it's really easy to overdo compost and underdo nutrients like nitrogen. Bring in your soil test results to Wiggle Worm Gardens in Eagle, and we can help you adapt the recommendations to your garden. When selecting nutrients, consider organic sources like blood meal, feather meal, alfalfa, or cottonseed meal. If your soil sticks to the shovel, wait until it dries a bit before digging in any nutrients or compost.
| The salad garden in April | The salad garden in May |
Once the soil is happy, we wait for warmth. Use a kitchen thermometer poked 4" down at 8 am to see when your soil reaches 40°F. Then you can plant peas! A bit warmer and then try lettuce, spinach, arugula, cilantro, dill, bok choi, kohlrabi and other salad greens and roots. Getting impatient? Use clear or black plastic to help warm your beds and extend the season with hoops or row covers.
Through April, I'm only willing to gamble with seeds. I plant a round every 2 weeks starting April 1 (in Eagle). My precious seedlings won't go out until May (even the cold-tolerant ones like kale); I'm willing to gamble seeds to get an early harvest, but not seedlings.
When it's time to plant seedlings, harden them off slowly—gradual exposure to wind and sun builds strong, stocky plants. Even plants you purchase at a nursery (ahem, like ours) should be hardened off.
Watch out for pests! Flea beetles and leaf miners show up early, so keep an eye out and use mesh or row covers to keep them from snacking on your salad before you do.
Finally, think ahead: as spring crops wrap up, you’ll want those beds prepped for your heat-loving tomatoes, squash, and peppers. Planning your transitions now = fewer headaches later.
At Wiggle Worm Gardens, we’re all about helping mountain gardeners succeed—with native plants, region-specific veggies, and workshops that make it all click. We believe small, sustainable steps (like planting peas before peppers) lead to beautiful, resilient gardens. Swing by for expert advice, soil-building supplies, and your next “aha!” moment. Let’s grow something great, together.
Lindsay Graves of Wiggle Worms Gardens in Eagle is a frequent educational partner of Walking Mountains.