Although the weather outside seems unseasonably frightful, amateur botanist and gardening enthusiasts can delight in the fact that the time has come to plan and prepare for spring planting.

Shane Harris, the Tallapoosa County Extension Coordinator, said that the first step is to plan what, where and how much one plans to grow. The next thing would be figuring out if the plot of ground – whether it’s a lawn, pasture or garden – needs fertilizers or other additives. Since the county’s soil is naturally acidic (around 4.0 to 4.5 on the pH scale), it may need an infusion of lime to place it in the ideal 6.0 to 6.5 range on the pH scale for most vegetables.