It's Planting Time! Spring is here and we envision delicious ripe tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, endless squash, fresh green beans, melons, peppers, eggplant, and on and on. We all dream of the abundant harvest ahead but it won't happen by itself.

Soil is literally the foundation of our garden and the source of nutrients for our plants. Preparation of our soil is very important before planting. Digging abundant organic matter like composted steer manure or peat into our desert soils along with granulated fertilizers goes a long way to making our dream of harvest a reality. Also, remember to feed your underground farmers - the earthworms that toil night and day to provide available nutrients to our growing plants and aerate our soil. Use a blender to make a veggie smoothie of your clean produce scraps and pour it into a little hole in your garden soil, cover it over and make your worms happy, happy, happy!

Tomato plants can be set out anytime. Check the plants for any hitchhikers like aphids, insect eggs, etc., and remove before transplanting. Test irrigation; dig holes for each plant at a spot that gets adequate water. Space plants to allow room for growth; indeterminate plants need support which can be added in a few weeks. Remove the lower, yellowing leaves and bury the stem in the soil up to the growing leaves; adventitious roots will grow from the stem and offer more support and nutrient intake. Water once with a nutrient solution such as Miracle-Gro, mixing at half the rate directed on the label. These new little babies will need TLC for a couple weeks; check often, a lot can go wrong. A translucent gallon milk jug with the bottom cut out and lid off can be situated over a small transplant for a couple of weeks to offer shelter, just make sure water supply is getting to the roots.

Seeds for all squashes, green beans, leaf lettuce, radish, melons, corn, etc., can go in the ground this month. Soaking the seeds in water 12-24 hours before putting in the ground can hasten germination; keep the ground moist by a couple short watering cycles each day. Not too wet, not too dry. Read the package as to depth of planting, space as desired, but you may have to thin. Allow room for successive plantings every three weeks or so if you want a continual harvest.

Transplants of eggplant, peppers, cucumbers, okra, and melons will appreciate the warmer nights of mid-April before thriving in the garden. They survive the cooler temperatures but they don't grow much. There is still time to start seeds of melons and cucumbers at home then set out the end of April. You can keep them warm at night in the house to give them a head start.