Celebrating the Spring with Cool-Season Crops

March is a month in which we observe many things. Women's History Month, National Nutrition Month, Employee Appreciation Day, St. Patrick's Day, and National Pound Cake Day (ooh!) are all celebrated in March. For me, it is a time to welcome thoughts of spring and look forward to the renewal and rebirth of my garden. As a rule of thumb, since I live in zone 5, planting season will begin for my garden mid to late March, three weeks before the last frost. I'll celebrate by planting seeds for cool-season crops, especially root vegetables.

Carrots, beets, radishes, turnips, and rutabagas are all delicious root vegetables with impressive nutrient profiles. Root vegetables are best grown from seeds, and transplanting can easily stunt their growth, so getting the soil and the planting right the first time is a good idea if you want to enjoy the best crops possible. A cool, loose, well-drained soil, deep enough for roots to dive in and expand, is best used when sowing these seeds. Savvy gardeners will add sand (or a sandy loam type of soil) and organic root fertilizer to their soil before planting seeds. 

To begin your root veggie garden, visit www.almanac.com/frostdates to find your last frost date, then plan to plant three weeks before that date. The same website will help you with planting zones and other great information. A good nursery can easily show you the best root fertilizer and sandy loam. After that, you'll just need a shovel or long trowel and enough good weather to dig a patch and mix in the goodness. As a last hint, check the weather before you plant since it's usually best to sow the seeds into dry soil the day before a good (not pounding) rain. The seeds will soak right into the soil, and a little sunshine will give you a lot of tasty garden goodness!

Carrots are my favorite root veggie treat since I can pull them right out of the ground, wash them off, and eat them raw. They are just as delicious when cooked. As a reminder, one carrot seed will equal one carrot, so you'll need to plant many seeds if you want lots of treats! 

I'll leave you with a bit of carrot cookery on my way to the garden today. Enjoy the recipe, and have a great spring planting time!!

Roasted Carrots

Ingredients

6 medium-sized carrots – cut into even lengthwise strips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1-1/2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp paprika

¼ tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

¼ tsp Italian seasoning

 Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Warm until the spices have melted well into the sauce. Coat the carrots evenly with the mixture. Place the carrots on an ungreased baking sheet, spreading out and leaving room between them as much as possible. Roast for 10 minutes, then turn the carrots over in the pan. Roast for 15 minutes (or more, depending on how soft you want them) until caramelized. Remove carrots from the oven and plate immediately.  These will keep refrigerated for 3 to 4 days. Want to sweeten the pot? Add 2 tablespoons of honey to the ingredient mix. Savory or sweet, roasted carrots make a great holiday side dish your family will love!!

This article first appeared in the Traveler Weekly Newspaper March, 2024