Planting a garden is a great way to fight inflation.

How many of the 40 varieties of vegetables that can be grown in Ohio do you currently buy at the grocery store? The good news is you can plant some vegetables outside as soon as St. Patrick’s Day.

Most are either cool-weather or warm-weather vegetables.

Cool-weather vegetables are not injured by light frost and can be planted as early as mid-March in Ohio. If it is going to be a heavy frost, they will need a little protection. They are not nearly as sensitive to cold weather as warmer crops like tomatoes.

They germinate and grow at lower temperatures in the spring and fall and will not produce quality vegetables if planted late in the growing season.

Planting too early, however, may result in seeds that rot or stunted transplants. Raised beds make an even better environment to get plants off to an early start.

Next, decide what to grow. Pick your family’s favorite cool-weather vegetables from some of my favorites! Soon, you will be eliminating them from your grocery store list: asparagus, broad beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, collard, garlic, horseradish, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, onions, peas, radishes, rhubarb, shallots, spinach and turnips.

Now is the time to purchase your family’s favorite vegetable seeds. You will find a variety of seeds in catalogs and at the local garden center. If you have seeds left over from your spring planting, you may want to save them for planting again in late summer.

Succession planting will allow a second harvest and is a great way to save even more money. Keep in mind, that the late summer seed plantings will need to be watered more often than you water seeds in the spring, as summer soil is warmer and dryer.

Where will you grow your garden? Pick a sunny location and sow your veggies directly in the ground (depending on date and soil temperature), in a raised bed, or any variety of containers. Make sure the soil is free of debris and that the soil drains well.

Lastly, follow the instructions of the seed pack for starting seeds early or for planting date, planting distance and depth. You’ll want to make sure your garden receives one inch of water each week until harvest once you have seeds or transplants in place

Why wait until the last frost to start growing and saving? Start your cool weather crops now! For details on starting these plants and getting an early start with cool weather crops, visit https://go.osu.edu/coolseason.

Sanders is an Ohio State University Extension Master Gardener Volunteer in Mahoning County.