I've been remiss. Lately, I've
blathered on about winter blooms, eating more veggies, and assorted
garden/life meanderings. It's time to get serious.
The countdown is on.
It's a mere 20 days until spring.
Yippee!
(And--eek!)
Hopefully, you've rested up over the
winter, snuggled with your seed catalogs, and designed your dream
garden.
Now, it's time to get to work.
For the next few weeks, we're going to
be each other's support systems, OK? I'm up to my eyeballs in
seedlings and plan to live in the greenhouse until all of the babies
are potted up. (Wish we had installed a fridge and a potty in there,
darn it...and I hope the kids remember who I am when I finally rejoin
family life.)
Still, I'll try to share a few
pre-spring gardening tips to help you get ready for the BIG DAY. If
you'd do me a favor and stop by, say hi and check to see that I
haven't been buried alive by the 160 varieties of tomato plants, I'd
be really grateful. Right now, my sole greenhouse companions are old
episodes of “30 Rock” on Netflix...on my phone.
I love Tina Fey.
Anyway, before we get busy, we need to
determine exactly when your BIG DAY is.
And by BIG DAY, you might think I mean
the First Day of Spring, which is, emotionally, such a relief after
winter.
Actually, the BIG DAY that impacts
everything you do in the garden is....
The LAST EXPECTED FROST DATE.
That just doesn't sound as sexy as
“First Day of Spring,” does it?
So, let's acronym it: LEFD.
Hmmm. That's even less sexy, I think.
Still, LEFD is the most important date
on your growing calendar. By determining when your area's last frost
is projected, you can plan when to start seeds indoors, how soon you
can sow seeds directly into your garden, as well determine when to
set out hardy versus tender transplants. After all, we want to get a
jump on spring without murdering our green babies with a bout of
sub-freezing temperatures, right?
Recently, there's been much publicity
about the USDA's new hardiness zone map. The map serves as a guide to
help determine which plants are most likely to thrive in your
location.
The updated map redefined zones based on
climate changes and temperature increases. My zone, 7b, remains the
same—but just 30 minutes away, a friend's zone changed from 7b to
8a. You can enter your zip code here to find your zone. (Personally, I found the slight variations in colors a little challenging when looking for my zone.)
The map is a terrific resource when
deciding which perennials are best for your area, but it doesn't
provide the all important LEFD, which you need to know when planting
a vegetable garden. Instead, the classic Old Farmer's Almanac
goes high tech with this fantastic interactive
chart. Simply enter your zip code and up pops a schedule outlining
when you should plant specific vegetables according to your area's last
expected frost.
For instance, the results for my zip
code search indicate that there's a 50% chance of frost after April
4. Personally, I like to hedge my bets, so I never plant our warm
weather crops until April 15. (Also, to be honest—I don't have time
to plant our garden until the end of April, because I'm too busy
getting plants ready for customers. Yet another example of the
“Shoemaker's Children”...sigh.)
Once you determine your LEFD, you can
pull out the plans for your amazing kitchen garden.Take a look at the
list of plants you want to include, get your seeds packets (or hurry up
and order!), and then start counting backwards from your LEFD. Some
seeds are best started indoors. Some hardy plants can be directly
sown into the garden prior to the last frost. And some need to be planted after the soil warms a few weeks following the LEFD.
For your planting pleasure, here's a
cheat sheet:
Seeds to Start Indoors Prior to LEFD (transplant
after last frost)
Chives, Globe Artichoke, Leeks,
Onions--12 weeks prior to last frost date
Celery, Lemongrass--10 weeks
Eggplant, Peppers, Tomatillo,
Tomatoes--8 weeks
Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Basil, Fennel--6 weeks
Cucumbers, Melons, Okra, Pumpkins,
Squash--3 weeks
Direct Seed in Garden BEFORE Last Frost (hardy plants)
Onion Sets, Seed Potatoes--6 weeks prior to last frost date
Kale, Kohlrabi, Spinach, Turnips,
Mustard--5 weeks
Beets, Carrots, Chinese Cabbage,
Endive, English Peas, Radish--4 weeks
Lettuce, Swiss Chard--2 weeks
Direct Seed in Garden AFTER Last Frost (tender plants)
Beans, Celeriac, Cowpeas--1-2 weeks after last frost date
Corn, Muskmelon, Watermelon, Okra--2
weeks
Pumpkins, Squash--2 weeks
Cucumbers, Peanuts, Amaranth--2 weeks
You probably noticed a few items, like
cucumbers and okra, are listed twice--to start indoors or to direct sow
after danger of frost has passed. By starting seeds indoors, you're
getting a jump on the growing of some fruits and veggies that require
a long growing season until harvest. (We'll chat about harvest
schedules next time...)
So, are you ready? Do you have your
seed starting mix and some trays? Have you divided your seed
varieties into similar starting times? Do you have a good light
source?
Are you ready to unleash the stars of your ideal
kitchen garden?
Then—let's GO! It's time to start
some seeds!
Have fun! Plant what you love! And—I
highly recommend “30 Rock” reruns to keep you company. Laughter
helps plants flourish...I'm sure I read that...somewhere.
Happy Almost-Spring Gardening!
XO ~
Julie
Oh! We are SO on the same page! I just bought a shop light for my laundry room so I can start my seedlings too. Our last frost date is a sham most of the time. :P Darn weather changes! But I am crazy excited about this season. I am looking forward to perfecting potatoes and tomatoes this year. It's all about the nightshades. ;)
ReplyDeleteBlessings and thanks for stopping by my site!
Val
Great map and really informative post.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Great post with valuable info. Thank you!
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