Category Archives: Uncategorized

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

First flock

These are the chicks I’m ordering for delivery in June since that’s the earliest delivery I can get at this point. (Thanks to Guildbrook Farms for some great advice – I highly recommend their fantastic YouTube channel). I’m focusing on Dorking and Easter Eggers this year and getting a variety of other breeds to see what I like.

Silver Gray Dorking (cream/tinted egg): 4 females and 1 male. My rooster will be this breed so I can contribute toward the continuation of this endangered, heritage breed dating back to the Roman empire. It’s a sweet, gentle breed so this should be a good rooster.




Barred Rock (brown eggs): 3 females.




Easter Egger (colored eggs): 3 females. I’m getting these primarily for egg marketability. People love colored eggs (and so do I).




Blue/Black/Splash Cochin (light brown eggs): 1 female. I’m getting one of these to be the mama of my flock.




Silver-Laced Wyandotte (light brown eggs): 1 female




Australorp (light brown eggs): 1 female




Golden Comet (brown eggs): 1 female

Garden calender

In addition to the calendar published by the Extension office for my county, I found the following resource while searching for hardiness zone information.

Generated by the National Gardening Association online tool

On average, your frost-free growing season starts May 6 and ends Oct 9, totaling 156 days.

Your planting strategy:

Spring:

Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around March 25, assuming the ground can be worked, but it’s better to start them indoors around February 26 and then transplant them into the garden around April 16. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.
Plant onion starts and potatoes around March 7. Sow the seeds of peas (sugar snap and english) at the same time. If the ground is still frozen, then plant these as soon as the ground thaws.

Do you want to grow tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants? Start these indoors around February 26. Then, around May 2 you should start watching the weather forecast and, as soon as no frost is forecast, go ahead and transplant those into the ground.

Now, for all the summer vegetables like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around May 6, or if your soil is still very cold, once the soil is near 60° F in temperature. Having said that, we note that your location has a shorter than average growing season. Many summer vegetables need more days to mature than your area will provide. For that reason, we recommend you get a head-start by starting these summer vegetables indoors around April 16, and transplant those seedlings out after the danger of frost is past.

CropSow
indoors
Transplant seedlings to the gardenDirect
sow
Asparagusn/aMar 22 – Apr 6n/a
Beansn/an/aMay 6 –
Jun 3
Beetsn/an/aMar 11 –
Mar 25
BroccoliFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
Brussel SproutsFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
CabbageFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
Cantaloupen/an/aApr 22 –
May 6
Carrotsn/an/aMar 25 –
Apr 22
CauliflowerFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
Chardn/an/aMar 25 –
Apr 8
CollardsFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
Cornn/an/aMay 6 –
May 20
Cucumbersn/an/aMay 6 –
May 20
EggplantsFeb 26 –
Mar 11
May 6 – May 20n/a
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkinsn/an/aMay 6 –
May 20
KaleFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
KohlrabiFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
LettuceFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Mar 25 – Apr 22Mar 25 –
Apr 22
MustardFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22n/a
Okran/an/aMay 6 –
May 20
OnionsFeb 19 –
Feb 26
Mar 7 – Apr 6n/a
Peas (English)n/an/aMar 7 –
Apr 6
Peas (Southern)n/an/aMay 6 –
Jun 3
Peas (Sugar Snap)n/an/aMar 7 –
Apr 6
PeppersFeb 26 –
Mar 11
May 6 – May 20n/a
Potatoesn/an/aMar 7 –
Apr 6
Radishesn/an/aMar 22 –
May 20
SpinachFeb 26 –
Mar 11
Apr 8 – Apr 22Mar 22 –
Apr 22
Sweet Potatoesn/aMay 6 – May 27n/a
TomatoesFeb 26 – Mar 11May 6 – May 20n/a
Watermelonn/an/aMay 6 – May 20

Autumn:

Gardening in the fall can be much more challenging than spring planting, because you are in a race to get your crops mature and harvested before the winter frosts begin, around October 9. This means you need to consider how much time each variety needs between planting and picking. Those numbers vary widely between different varieties of the same kinds of plants! Usually the “Days to Harvest” are present on the seed packet.
Most tomatoes, peppers and eggplants, for example, require around 100 days to harvest, therefore you’d want to transplant those into the ground around July 1. Anyway, it’s important to remember that the numbers in this fall planting guide are only a starting point for you! Good luck and good gardening to you.

Fall is the time to plant garlic. Around August 25, take your cloves apart and plant the toes about 3 to 4 inches deep. This may not be accurate! Garlic dates vary wildly around the country. The way to be sure is to use a soil thermometer. When the soil temperature is 60° at a depth of 4 inches, then plant your garlic.

Cole crops like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage can be direct seeded into your garden around July 31, but because of the heat during that time of year, it’s better to start them indoors around June 11 and then transplant them into the garden around July 21. Do the same with lettuce and spinach.

Sow peas directly around July 26.

Now, for all the usual hot weather veggies like beans, cowpeas, corn, squashes, pumpkins, cucumbers, watermelons, gourds and sunflowers, you should plant those seeds directly into the ground around June 26.

CropSow
indoors
Transplant seedlings to the gardenDirect
sow
Beansn/an/aJun 26 – Jul 26
Beetsn/an/aJul 26 – Sep 9
BroccoliMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
Brussel SproutsMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
CabbageMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
Cantaloupen/an/aJun 11 – Jun 26
Carrotsn/an/aJul 11 – Sep 9
CauliflowerMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
Chardn/an/aJun 26 – Sep 9
CollardsJun 11 – Jul 26Jul 11 – Aug 25n/a
Cornn/an/aJun 26 – Jul 11
Cucumbersn/an/aJun 26 – Jul 11
EggplantsApr 30 – May 15Jun 11 – Jun 26n/a
Garlicn/an/aJul 26 – Sep 9
Gourds, Squash and Pumpkinsn/an/aMay 27 – Jun 26
KaleMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
KohlrabiMay 15 – Jun 29Jun 26 – Aug 10n/a
LettuceJul 11 – Aug 10Aug 10 – Sep 9Aug 10 – Sep 9
Mustardn/an/aAug 10 – Sep 9
Okran/an/aMay 27 – Jun 26
Onionsn/an/aSep 9 – Sep 19
ParsleyMay 27 – Jul 11Jul 11 – Aug 25n/a
Peas (English)n/an/aJul 11 – Aug 10
Peas (Southern)n/an/aMay 27 – Jun 26
Peas (Sugar Snap)n/an/aJul 11 – Aug 10
PeppersMay 5 – May 20Jun 16 – Jul 1n/a
Potatoesn/an/aJul 11 – Aug 10
Radishesn/an/aAug 10 – Sep 9
SpinachJun 26 – Aug 10Jul 26 – Sep 9Jul 26 – Sep 9
TomatoesMay 5 – May 20Jun 16 – Jul 1n/a
Turnipsn/an/aAug 25 – Sep 24
Watermelonn/an/aMay 27 – Jun 26

First seed order

I decided to go with Pinetree Super Seeds because my dad recommended them. Yes, I’m planting A LOT but I want to find out what we eat the most (all the vegetables I’m planting are things I’ve cooked/eaten before). Plus, using the woodchip method means a lower maintenance garden, which means I can grow a lot more!

Soloist Chinese cabbage – for kimchi

Minowase daikon radish – for kimchi

Hinona Kabu Japanese turnip – for kimchi

Bunching crimson forest onion – for kimchi

Biquinho yellow pepper – for kimchi

Napoli carrot – for kimchi

Red shiso – for kimchi

Arugula

Alaska mix nasturtiums

Red deer tongue lettuce

Rouge d’Hiver heirloom French lettuce

Pinetree Lettuce Mix

Carantan leek

Violetta Italia cauliflower

Early snowball cauliflower

Large Prague celeriac

Pinetree broccoli mix

Top bunch collards

Kossack kohlrabi

Spring blush snap pea

Sugar Magnolia snap pea

Gold coin onion

Red marble cippolini onion

Conservor shallot

Green globe improved artichoke

Pinetree spinach mix

Pineapple tomato

Oregon spring tomato – to harvest green (YUM)

Black cherry tomato

Sungold cherry tomato

Tumbling tom cherry tomato

Orange sun pepper

Ancho hot pepper

Anaheim hot pepper

Italian pepperoncini – Ben’s favorite

Super thai pepper

Pinetree radish mix

Pinetree basil mix

Chicken plants

As recommended by Back to Eden. I’ll be planting these to feed my chickens:

Alfalfa sprouts, borage, basil mixture, cilantro, dill, fennel, lemon balm, lemon grass, mint, Greek oregano, Italian parsley, clover sprouts, sage, thyme, and wheat.