Monthly Archives: February 2019

Artichokes

2019

Cultivar: Green Globe improved artichoke (heirloom)

My local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors March 1 with no information for transplanting or sowing outdoors. Seed packet recommends starting indoors 8-12 weeks before last frost. Also recommended for my zone is to cold treat by setting out with temps at 45-50 degrees. I’m sowing inside February 23 and once our local temps hit 45+ degrees, I’ll cold treat.

Good companions: cucumbers

DO NOT plant with: potatoes

Good companion for: cucumbers

Mutually beneficial: cucumbers

Shallots

2019

Cultivar: Conservor shallot (hybrid)

My local growing calendar recommends seeding shallots April 8, presumably outdoors since it doesn’t specify indoors. Seed packet recommends starting indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost in soil 60 – 75 degrees or direct sowing in early spring. I’m sowing indoors February 23 and transplant outdoors once soil is at least 60 degrees. I’m thinking 8 weeks after sowing might be a good time.

For companion planting, follow guidelines for onions

Onions

2019

Cultivars: Gold Coin Cipollini, Bunching Crimson Forest, Red Marble Cipollini (all heirloom)

Seed packets recommend starting indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost and soil temps 60-75 degrees. I’m sowing them indoors February 23 and transplanting after the last frost.

Good companions for onions: Beetroot, chamomile, carrot, lettuce, radish, cabbage family, tomatoes, silverbeet, strawberries (for onions but not garlic, unlike other companions)

DO NOT plant next to: peas, beans, potatoes

Onions are good companions for: beets, cabbage family, carrots, leeks, lettuce, radishes, spinach, strawberries, tomatoes

Mutually beneficial: onions, beets, cabbage family, tomatoes, lettuce

Collards

2019

Cultivar: Top bunch collards (hybrid)

Local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors February 16 and transplanting April 12. Seed packet recommends direct sowing in early Spring through mid Summer. Frost improves the flavor, so I’m sowing indoors February 23 and will transplant outside April 12 – 19, depending on plant development.

Good companions: tomatoes, garlic, thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, nasturtiums (deterring pests), and mint, chamomile, garlic, dill (improving flavor)

Broccoli

2019

Variety: Pinetree broccoli mix

Local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors February 15. No transplant information, but it also says it can be sown outdoors April 5. Seed packet recommends starting indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost and transplanting outdoors just before last frost. I’m planting seeds inside February 23 and will transplant outside in late April, depending on weather.

Good companions for broccoli: Beetroot, celery, dill, chamomile, onion, mint, potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, hyssop, nasturtium, tansy, beans, peas, coriander, marigolds, lettuce

DO NOT plant next to: rue, strawberries, tomatoes, garlic

Celeriac

2019

Cultivar: Large Prague (heirloom)

Celeriac isn’t listed on my local garden calendar. The seed packet recommends starting indoors 10-12 weeks before last frost and transplanting after last frost. I’m putting them to soak for 24 hours and will plant indoors tomorrow (February 24).

Best companion plant: scarlet runner beans

Cauliflower

2019

Cultivars: Early snowball cauliflower (heirloom), Violetta Italia (heirloom)

Local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors February 9 and seeding outdoors April 5. Seed packet recommends starting indoors 4-6 weeks before last frost and transplanting outside after last frost. I seeded indoors February 23 (Early Snowball) and March 1 (Violetta Italia, which doesn’t have date recommendations on the envelope), a compromise between the calendar and seed packet dates. I’ll see how temperatures go and possibly wait till May 6 to transplant outside.

Good companions for cauliflower: Beetroot, celery, dill, chamomile, onion, mint, potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, hyssop, nasturtium, tansy, beans, peas, coriander, marigolds, lettuce

DO NOT plant next to: rue, strawberries, tomatoes, garlic

Cauliflower is a good companion for: celery

Leeks

2019

Cultivar: Carantan leek (heirloom)

Local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors February 9 to transplant April 18. Seed packet recommends starting indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost, so that lines up since there are no recommendations listed on packet for when to transfer outside. I’m sowing seeds indoors February 23 and I’ll follow the calendar for transplanting.

Companion plants for leeks: carrot, celery, onion

DO NOT plant next to: beans, peas

Leeks are good companions for: carrots, celery

Mutually beneficial: leeks, carrots, celery

Lettuce

2019

Cultivars: Rouge d’Hiver, Red Deer’s Tongue (both heirloom)

My local garden calendar recommends seeding indoors February 7 for transplanting March 18. The seed packet recommends starting indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting, so this lines up. I’m sowing indoors on February 23, since I just received them yesterday, and will set them outdoors March 16-23, or when the ground is ready.

Pinetree Leaf Lettuce mix – from the website:
“We see a number of advantages to mixing greens: you get a variety of colors, textures, tastes and maturation times from the same planting. This mix has a uniquely American twist, however; they are all leaf lettuces and all sweet varieties. The mix will contain most of the loose-leaf varieties in the catalog and nearly a dozen others. “

Seed packet recommends starting indoors 3-4 weeks before transplanting with 50-70 degree soil temps. I started these inside March 1.

Companions for Lettuce: Carrot, cucumber, onion, radish, strawberries, beetroot, marigolds

Lettuce is a good companion for: beans, beetroot, cabbage family, carrots, cucumber, onions, strawberries

Mutually beneficial vegetables I’m planting: lettuce, carrot, cucumber, onions, beets, strawberries

Time to start planting

My first seeds will arrive today, so I’ll be starting my seedlings for future transplant. I’m going to keep a separate page of information and records for each plant and update each of these throughout the growing season. I’ll also include my experience in using what I produce, flavor, etc. These records should help me decide what I want to plant again next year, changes I should consider to improve results, etc.

Recommendations by various sources vary, e.g. local planning calendar, individual seed packets, National Gardening Association, etc. This year, I’m going to use my local planning calendar as my primary guide but I won’t transplant or plant outdoors earlier than recommended by the seed packets. I’ll evaluate how each plant does for potential modifications needed for next year.

Outdoor planting will also be constrained by how early I have the ground prepared, since I won’t be able to start preparation until mid-late March (possibly later, since moving all our belongings will also be taking place during the last two weeks of March). I’m assuming that a delay in transplanting will just delay harvest rather than causing any actual damage to the plants. My schedule shouldn’t be so constrained next year since we’ll already be established on our farm and I’ll be able to have everything ready well in advance.

I purchased heirloom seeds for whatever I could but some of my seeds are hybrids. I plan to keep and plant my own seeds next year. I’ll replace any hybrid cultivars with heirloom next year where possible. What I can’t replace, I’ll probably plant both the hybrid seeds and my own seeds. I know seeds from hybrids have questionable genetics but I also know my own seeds will be healthier than purchased seeds, so I’m curious to see how they’d compare. I care more about health and productivity than pristine genetics.

This year, I’m using Jiffy peat pellets in plastic greenhouse containers. Next year when I have my established farm to work with, I’ll make my own planting mixture or direct sow everything.

First container:

A1 – A3: Red Deer’s Tongue lettuce

A4 – A6: Rouge d’Hiver lettuce

B: Carantan leek

C: Early Snowball Cauliflower

D&E: Pinetree broccoli mix

F: Top Bunch collards

G: Gold Coin Cipollini onion

H: Bunching Crimson Forest onion

I: Red Marble Cippolini onion

J: Conservor shallot

K: Green Globe improved artichoke