\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A couple of my friends have been asking what they should be planting and when\u2026I am sure they are not alone in wanting garden scheduling advice.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 An easy way to start is to use the following guide to divide up your seed packets according to planting times and whether they will be direct sown or grown as transplants.\u00a0 Although using a calendar is the easiest method to decide when to plant, soil temperature is actually a better guide to determine the best planting time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

$\"My$ <\/a>

My garden spring 2012<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Early Spring:<\/i><\/b>\u00a0 (soil temperature 40-45\u00b0 F) Plants that prefer colder temperatures\u00a0can be\u00a0planted in early March, (maybe even late February).\u00a0 Peas do not do well in hot weather so it is important to get them planted as early as possible.\u00a0\u00a0 Radishes, lettuce, and spinach can be sown in successive plantings to extend harvest times until the weather gets too warm.\u00a0 They can be sown again in late summer or fall.\u00a0 Perennials such as asparagus, rhubarb, and strawberries can be planted as soon as they are available in nurseries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0 Early Transplants: <\/i><\/b>Some plants are better sown indoors and moved out to the garden later for better success and to extend the growing season for those crops that benefit from a longer period of warmth.\u00a0 Most can be started in early to mid-March, but artichoke is better sown earlier in the year.\u00a0 Cole crops such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, and Brussels sprouts, prefer cooler temperatures and are best started in a cool greenhouse or a cold frame.\u00a0 Some herbs, such as parsley, can also be started early.\u00a0 I start my tomatoes and peppers in my warm house and transfer them to my greenhouse once they have germinated.\u00a0 If kept in the house, make sure they get plenty of light!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

$\"I$ <\/a>
I like to grow salad greens or “Mesclun” mixes in a pot. It is easy to snip a few leaves to add to a sandwich!<\/p><\/div>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t started any transplants, you can buy starts at a nursery.\u00a0 The advantage of buying seeds and growing your own is that you can grow different varieties\u2014I especially like seed mixes: my favorites include a hot pepper mix, a broccoli mix, and a lettuce or \u201cmesclun, \u201c(salad greens) mix.\u00a0 The disadvantage is that you end up with more plants than you can use.\u00a0 I often give extras to friends.\u00a0 You may even be able to plan with a friend and decide to grow certain plants to share with each other!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 Mid-Spring: <\/i><\/b>(soil temperature 45-55\u00b0 F) Early April is a good time to sow many root crops such as carrots, beets, turnips and parsnips.\u00a0 You can also direct-sow the cole crops. Plant seed potatoes in a raised bed with new soil to avoid wireworm infestation.\u00a0 Onion starts should also be available at feed stores and nurseries.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0 Late Transplants: <\/i><\/b>I like to give my cucumbers, pumpkins and squashes (including zucchini) a head start by starting them in mid-April.\u00a0 Basil can be sown at this time too.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The \u201caverage last killing frost\u201d<\/b> for the Puget Sound region is between April\u00a0 1<\/span><\/span>^{st <\/span><\/sup>– 15<\/span>^{th<\/span><\/sup>.\u00a0 This is when it is considered safe to plant most transplants outside.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span>But you may want to wait until the weather is warmer for your tomatoes, peppers and basil.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n}}
\u00a0\u00a0 Late Spring: <\/i><\/b>(soil temperature > 60\u00b0 F) Corn, beans, gourds, and sunflowers need warm temperatures to germinate.\u00a0 A soil thermometer can help you to decide whether you can plant earlier than mid-May.\u00a0 If you didn\u2019t start squashes earlier, you can also direct-sow them at this time.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For a more comprehensive guide, Seattle Tilth\u2019s \u201cThe Maritime Northwest Garden Guide,\u201d tells you month by month what can be planted outside, in a cold frame or inside, including flowers and herbs!<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n
(This article was first published in the Peninsula Gateway\u00a0<\/em>on April 14, 2010)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0A couple of my friends have been asking what they should be planting and when\u2026I am sure they are not alone in wanting garden scheduling advice. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 An easy way to start is to use the following guide to divide up your seed packets according to planting times and whether they will be direct sown<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=597"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":602,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/597\/revisions\/602"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/habitathorticulturepnw.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}