Soon it will be time to plant vegetable gardens, but not in April. Perhaps by the end of the month, you can take a chance and plant some of the cool-weather crops if the soil has warmed up. In the meantime, the following are a few tips for both new and seasoned vegetable growers.

To protect the micro-ecosystem in the soil that helps keep the garden healthy and pest/disease free, leave the tiller in the garage. However, if you are establishing a new garden in a new place, it is okay to till in compost and aged manure to get it established. In succeeding years, try top dressing instead.

This leads to the second tip. Don’t forget to add organic amendments every year. Since they are organic, they will get used up, unlike actual soil. You don’t want to starve the micro-herd who are busily working on your behalf.

Are you starting to have smaller crops both in quantity and size? Look around. Have some nearby trees reached maturity and started to shade the vegetables? To produce flowers, followed by fruit (the vegetables), a lot of energy is needed. That power comes from the sun. Plants need from 6-8 hours of strong, direct sun. Also, pay attention to where you place each crop, so the tall vegetables aren’t shading the shorter ones.

The next tip can be hard to follow. Thin those seedlings. I know it is difficult to destroy a perfectly healthy seedling. It is also hard to choose which ones. Check the seed packet and follow the printed recommendation. Many years of trials went into the advice on the back of the packet. Believe what is printed.

Mulch the vegetable garden after it is planted, and everything has germinated so you know where it is. You can even do it before if using all transplants instead of seeds. If using grass clippings, be sure to only use clippings from untreated lawns.

The next tip probably everyone knows from experience. Don’t let the weeds take over. Weeding is not a once-and-done job because new weeds will germinate after every rain. Some of the previous tips, mulching and not tilling, help with weed suppression.

When watering the plants, avoid overhead methods. Some crops like squash, cucumbers, and tomatoes are susceptible to fungal diseases. Keeping the leaves dry helps avoid problems. Try to think of watering the ground instead of the plants. Also, watering in the morning is preferable to night,

There has been a lot of talk in the gardening world about waiting until spring to clean up last year’s debris. That’s good advice for bedding plants, but not vegetable gardens. Removing everything that could harbor pests and pathogens is a good practice. There is one exception. The roots of legumes (peas and beans) should be left in the soil to decompose. Nitrogen will be left behind in the soil where it will benefit next year’s crop.

Call the Edgar County Extension office at 217-465-8585 with any spring problems that pop up. Or email the Master Gardeners at schiver@illinois.edu.