With spring in bloom, many homeowners are getting ready to dig out their gardening tools and get to work on this season’s planting. Whether you’re looking to restart your garden and add new plants or you are just starting out in the world of gardening, you’ll need to know what types of plants are best to grow in Washington. Due to the short growing season and shady, drizzly weather in the Pacific Northwest, some plants just don’t grow well.
Stop by a hardware store or gardening center and ask the experts for some advice on what plants are best to grow in spring and summer. Then, be sure to pick up seed and any gardening tools in Seattle that you may need before heading home to get to work.
Edible plants that thrive in Washington
Even though Washington is known for its overcast and often-rainy weather, many plants and yummy foods can be grown and harvested throughout the spring and summer. The period between late April and early May is usually the most ideal for planting in Washington so crops can mature properly and grow fruits and vegetables before the cold settles in again. Make sure you have the appropriate tools in Seattle to tend each crop per its requirements before planting:
- Potatoes: Potatoes are very easy to grow, requiring you to buy seed potatoes in April and cut them up, planting pieces with two to three eyes a foot or so apart. The rain in Washington will help water your plants. Come August, you can remove the plant after it wilts and dig up your potatoes.
- Lettuce: Lettuce plants grow well in cooler weather and require shade to grow, making them great choices for Washington’s climate. You might be able to plant twice between the spring and summer to maximize your harvest.
- Spinach: Like lettuce, spinach is another green that can grow in cooler weather, letting you enjoy its leafy greenness all summer.
- Peas: Peas can be planted early in the spring for a June harvest or in late July for a fall harvest. Pea plants do not grow well in very hot temperatures and usually require a trellis to grow vertically.
- Squash: A very versatile vegetable, squash can grow in pretty much any type of climate and will continue to grow in abundance throughout the season.
- Broccoli: Broccoli is another plant that grows well in cooler climates, which makes it ideal for Washington. Unfortunately, broccoli can be difficult to grow at times, and requires soil rich in nitrogen and calcium.
The rain in Washington creates some very moist and lush soil that can help plants grow bigger and healthier. However, you should monitor your garden during rainy periods to make sure it is not getting oversaturated, or your plants can get root rot.
For more information about gardening in Washington, visit Stewart Lumber & Hardware Co. Our hardware store has served contractors, homeowners and remodelers with a vast selection of quality building supplies and gardening tools in Seattle for over 90 years. Come speak with our experts to get gardening advice, pick up new gardening tools and be prepared for a healthy growing season!