I have several seed packages like lettuce, onion, peas and carrots that say "sow outside in early spring as soon as soil can be worked", but I always wonder just what does that mean. The vernal equinox is just a few days away, but even though I can force a spade into the soil, it freezes again each night. I'm anxious to get started but I have wasted seed before by putting it in too early, so I thought I'd ask the experts:
What does "early spring" mean? It can't be a fixed date because that would mean different conditions in different planting zones. Does it mean a particular soil temperature?
What does "as soon as the soil can be worked" mean? Able to turn it over with a trowel? With your hand?
Please don't answer in the form of a question as I just did!
Essential Spring planting questions
i'm interested in the answer as well - i never get to planting these till sometime in May as the veggy garden is the last thing i get too during spring clean up and that us middle of May
Do my best. You want the soil to be workable. When you take your hoe the ground is not soaking wet and fluffs up a bit. You want to put in your rows of peas and build your rows up. You cant do that with frozen, mushy dirt. Its not spring yet and you still can get a frost. Take into consideration that the peas can handle more cold and it can freeze at night as its in the ground and it will take some time to sprout. The pea leaves once they sprout can handle more cold temps than a tomatoe plant.
To me, 'as soon as the soil is workable' means as soon as I am comfortable working outside for more than a couple of hours. If my feet get cold and wet from the mud within two hours, then I know the time is not yet right. If I'm still happily digging away after two hours, it's time to plant. Usually around here that means the last weekend in April or the first week of May.
My Dad says it is OK to plant when you can work barefoot in the garden.
I think it's still a bit early. An occasional nighttime freeze is okay, but night after night of below freezing tells me it's still early.
yeah that and barely cover seed bugs me... is it 1/2 way... 3/4 the way???.... hate the vagueness
every time I read that on a seed packet just makes me madder and madder
They're written by plant lawyers.
I swear if anyone other than the dogs were paying attention... it would just reaffirm that I am nuts.. there are days (when planting seeds too long).. I just yell at the packet... WHAT DO YOU MEAN
Does it ever answer?
I thought they would be ok if you plant now and cover with either tops of soda bottles or such to create little green houses.
no they don't Victor... I usually just do whatever when they don't make sense
I thought you could plant peas after St. Paddy's day ... or is it when the forsythia blooms???? Can never remember ...
I am from the ct shoreline, I planted arugula, green ice , onion seeds, lettuce, broccoli, turnip, swede, avon spinach, celery, beans, and alpine strawberries under plastic and they are all doing excellent! except for the celery and strawberries. It takes time, the first strawberries are popping out now, but it takes a little longer for celery. I also plant peas and cabbage under straw on st. pat's day every year and they do great.
lettuces, cabbages (including broccoli and cauliflower), and large root veggies do not mind the chill, I only have trouble getting seedlings out this early.. too cold still to harden off.
hope this helps, I garden almost year yound, mostly with the help of milk crates and plastic in the winter ans early spring.
-joe-
I start spring seeds outdoors first week of march.
it's not too bad.. the plastic lets the temp swing alot though.. between 31 - 101 degrees recorded so far this month under there. the broccoli is having issues, and cabbage tends to take a lot of time, but lettuce and spinach are 3-4 inches tall already.. very few seed starter trays in the windows these days.
My soil is workable now in most areas of my yard, and certainly in the veg garden. I will start peas and other cold weather veggies soon, perhaps this weekend if time permits (still have a ton of clean-up work to do!). Anyhow, I think it's about that time. Just depends on where you are. This past weekend I did a lot of transplanting of perennials that are still dormant or just breaking dormancy. Good time to get it done!
Karen
i will take a picture tonite.. it is actually pretty good.. i was hoping to eat from the garden at easter.. but i think i will need some ideas for an inexpensie way to get me planting outdoors in mid-feb.. and to to get more sun inside the plastic, and still keep it warm enough.. the inside temps l dropped to 28 occasionaly over night in this last cold spell and as high as 102! - i have a min-max thermometer- , but - as you will see as soon as i figure how to post a pic, that the buggers keep pushing along! very excited. best spring crop so far!
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People winter-sow cool-season veggies like spinach, Swiss chard, etc. So apparently they can handle freezing temps just fine - like hardy perennials, the seeds "know" when to start growing as the weather warms up.