If, like me, you're itching to get some dirt under your nails, you'll be happy to know that now is the time to begin getting the beds ready for early spring annuals and vegetables. Mid- to late-February is the optimum time for lettuce, spinach, radishes, pansies and other cool-hardy plants. Taking the time to get the beds ready now in mid-January gives the soil amendments four weeks to work their magic so your new plants get off to a healthy start.

Soil Testing

If you didn't perform a soil test in fall and it's been more than two or three years since you last one, now is the time to get an accurate depictions of the state of the earth. Do it yourself test kits are readily available at garden centers or you can take a soil sample to the extension office for a more in depth analysis. For most early season plants, your soil needs a pH between 6.5 and 7.0. Since most of us have to bring in soil or make our own from compost because the native soil is too sandy to support many plants, pH is typically not a problem. If it's a little too acidic, you can work in some agricultural limestone now to help offset the acidity come planting.

Amendments

I am a big proponent of amending the beds with compost before each planting. If you are only going to do it once a year, do it now. A 2 to 3 inch layer of fresh compost tilled into the garden improves moisture retention, prevents boggy beds and gives the plants a fresh source of nutrients. I usually work in some crushed egg shells too for a natural source of phosphorus. After amending the bed cover it up with black plastic or a thick layer of straw until planting time so weeds don't invade the newly worked soil.