March is one of my favorite months.  First, March reminds us spring is just around the corner. Second, I get to celebrate another birthday!  With a birthday at the end of the month, I have enjoyed many celebrations with spring-like weather, but I have had celebrations with snow and cold, too. 

With the transition of winter to spring upon us, many are thinking about planting season from farms to personal gardens.  The fluctuating temperatures of March remind us to be patient and mindful of the vegetables we start in our gardens.  On our farms we can sow grasses, but the row crops need to wait for warmer temperatures. 

My enthusiasm for gardening is highest at planting time.  Knowing what to plant and when is key to having healthier plants and a more abundant harvest.  Potatoes, onions and radishes are best started when we have cooler temperatures.  Other vegetables need to wait until the threat of frost is past.  Here is a great website to learn more about that: https://extension.unl.edu/statewide/dodge/vegetable-gardening-101/

If March and April bring much warmer temperatures, I can get impatient to put those seeds and plants in the ground.  Nebraskans are in zone four or zone five, indicating most of our seeds and plants need to wait until late April or mid-May for frost concerns.   If you are interested in the exact zone of your town, this website lists each town in Nebraska and the corresponding zone: https://www.plantmaps.com/list-of-hardiness-zones-for-nebraska-cities.php

Nebraskans are blessed to have the opportunity to grow a variety of vegetables, whether you live in Omaha or Scottsbluff.  Even though western Nebraska has a more arid climate perfect for growing crops like dry, edible beans and sugar beets, gardeners there can enjoy the same variety of vegetables as those of us in the more humid, eastern side of the state.  Together, farmers and gardeners in Nebraska provide food for tables at home and around the world.

To learn more about what we grow in Nebraska and why, watch this interview with Pure Nebraska host Jon Vanderford of KOLN-TV