With the moderate weather we are experiencing this winter, I can imagine many of you are eager to get your vegetable gardens growin’.

Rita Bricker

The average last frost date in our neck of the woods is Feb. 6 and the growing season before the punishing heat sets in is short.

So, now is a wonderful time to exercise your green thumb.

Soil preparation is key to success in our area due to its alkaline and often compacted soils. Around Maricopa, we often must deal with clay soil, which requires substantial amendment with compost and sometimes gypsum or even sulfur to get the right mix for optimal planting. If you have a previously used garden plot or are just starting fresh, now is the time to dig in about a foot, turn the soil, add the amendments and incorporate them into the loosened soil.

Next, inspect your watering system. If it isn’t working properly, now is the time to make needed repairs.

Naturally, you can plant from seed if you are so inclined. Basil, beets, cucumbers, melons, green onions, radishes and squash can be started from seed at this time of year. You must follow directions on the seed packets concerning planting depth and spacing.

However, let me suggest an even better alternative.

Saturday, March 4, is the local Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale at Maricopa Agricultural Center. About 2,000 plants will be available at reasonable prices. They were started in a greenhouse this year so they are of excellent quality and size for transplanting into your garden.

We will have nearly 20 kinds of tomatoes, including four varieties of cherry tomatoes, Andiamo-paste tomatoes, reliable Bella Rosa and Black from Tula tomatoes, popular Celebrity and Kellogg’s Breakfast tomatoes, and two dark-red or purple varieties. Also available: Plum Dandy and Red Robin tomatoes, as well as repeat favorites like Mountain Pride and Super Sioux.

Select from 11 varieties of peppers, including mild North Star Bell, Poblano and Serrano Hot. Also this year are Golden Greek Pepperoncini and Sweet Banana peppers.

Our herb selection includes Genovese, lemon and cinnamon-basil varieties, as well as cilantro, dill, oregano and garlic chives.

We also will have eggplant and zucchini, as well as tomatillos and five kinds of cucumbers.

You can go crazy with our vegetables! That’s not all. We also will have flowers, several kinds of mint, cactus and other succulents, a small selection of trees and strawberry plants for purchase. The plants we offer are specifically grown for our locale to help you succeed in your gardening efforts.

So, please join us from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on March 4 to pick out your plants, get your gardening questions answered and begin your spring planting in Maricopa.

Rita Bricker is a Maricopa resident and is a Master Gardener with the University of Arizona.