i have seen these in late fall and winter landscaping schemes here in the OzTown, Tax_US area (USDA Zone 8b) but have never tried them myself. i recently received many seeds for these plants and would love to have a go at it this year. my questions: when to start them from? when will it be safe to transplant them into the ground?
i use humidifying domes over trays of peat pots for seed starting.
TIA to any and all helpers ... ATBTY ! ~ ŁazŁo
Snapdragons, Ornamental Cabbages, Kale & Swiss Chard
Hello Tia, I have never grown the ornamental ones, but regular Kale can take freezing temperatures, and Chard just a small frost.
Josephine.
Can you grown the seed for the ornamentals directly in the ground. I would love to try them but the plants are so expensive.
I believe now is the time to start sowing seeds for the ornamental cabbage, kale, etc. I know of people that grow them from seed and it's not hard. however, it is a numbers game, so if you want three, you better plant 6, lol. You can always swap/give away the extras. I know nothing about snapdragons other than I buy a couple of seedlings in late Nov and they're gone by march. But they're so lovely, I don't mind the expense.
Your local extension office might be a good source of info about this subject.
Now! I think August is really ideal. They need time to create a good root system and size before the cold hits - when growing comes to a crawl.
I have done swiss chard the last two years in my front porch pots and it does great. (from transplants) I just love the colors. And I only cover it if it's going to get into the teens. It survives the freezes surprisingly well. I have only lost one out of 4 to 6 each year. And both times it was the one I did not plant quite deep enough so the rootball got slightly exposed. When spring hits, the kale starts growing like gangbusters and you can use it in the kitchen.
Thank you, everyone who has given their advice.
ATBTY ! ~ Łaz ;--)