Yeah, I know. You’ve just put the vegetable garden to bed for the season, and already I’m talking about next year. But we both know that by February you’ll be itching to get outside to play in the dirt, right? So listen up! NOW is the time to prepare for early vegetable plantings.

First decide what you want to plant and where you will plant it. Make a diagram of those areas, and stake them off if necessary. Then get soil samples for each area and send them in. The turnaround time for soil samples in the fall is short, so if the test results show that you need to fertilize or adjust the pH you’ll be able to do this before the snow flies. Dig in compost or other organic matter now, leaving the bed “bumpy” (not smooth). This makes it more difficult for insects to overwinter.

Order your seeds early, and set up a calendar with target dates for planting outside. The guidelines below are just averages, depending on when you can start working the soil.

To determine if the soil is ready to be worked, grab a small handful and squeeze it. If it crumbles you can work the soil. If it stays in a ball, though, the soil is too wet, and digging now will create large clumps that won’t easily break down over the summer.

Cover each bed with black plastic a week or two in advance to help warm the soil. Buy an inexpensive soil thermometer and check the temperature every week. When the temperature approaches 50° about 4 inches deep, rake the bed smooth and you’re ready to plant.

Monitor the long term weather forecast so that you don’t plant just prior to a major storm. Cover your seeds and plants with a spun floating row cover immediately after planting, leaving enough room under the cover for 4 to 6 weeks of growth. Check for weeds every week or so, then remove the cover when outside temperatures warm up or your plants start to flower.

By late April you’ll be harvesting the first produce from your garden! Keep records of seeding and harvest dates to adjust your calendar for succeeding years.

Catalogs from Stokes and Territorial are great sources of seed starting information for these and other crops. Soil sample boxes and forms are available at the Haywood County Extension Center on Raccoon Road.

Jim Janke is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Haywood County. For more information call the Haywood County Extension Center at 828-456-3575. © 2012 NC State University.