A frequent question that is often asked is, "when do I plant (insert your favorite veggie) in my veggie garden"? The best response is "when is your last frost"? This http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-43023-Meridian-Gardening-Examiner~y2010m3d30-You-want-to-know-gardening-basics-when-to-plant-is-a-good-place-to-start Link will help answer that question.
The next question is how much cold will the plant you want to put in tolerate? Some Plants like garden peas will tolerate cold quite well; you can plant the seed as soon as the soil can be worked in the spring. In the Boise Idaho area that can be as early as February or March, if the soil is dry enough to work. If you have planted your peas that early, they should be already peeking through the soil.
Other plants that do not mind a small amount of cold if they have been harden off is Cole Crops, members of this group include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprout. If you want to start these in the house, it will give you a 4 to 5 week head start, which is how long it will take to get them to a nice size to put out. Remember to harden them off, before planting.
If you have raised onions in your garden last year, you should notice that those you did not harvest have already started to grow, that means you can plant your seed or sets now. Some prefer to use seed, onion sets want to flower in the summer and the onion will not get as large.
If you want to do pickles this summer, now is a good time to sow the dill seed, it will set in the soil till conditions are right and then take off, maturing in time to do the pickles.
Some friends who are planting their potatoes now are taking a chance, potato planted now will come up, the tops get nipped back by a frost, then a new vine will regrow from the underground parts that do not freeze because the soil protects them. Of course, if it gets so cold that the soil freezes, it will kill all of the potato.
If you keep record of what and when you plant it will help http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-43023-Meridian-Gardening-Examiner~y2010m4d7-I-have-decided-I-want-to-be-a-gardener
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Comments
Stephen, Also very informative! I guess where you live it is cold pretty late. My relatives live in Canada. They almost never see a red tomato. You have to like them fried while green, let them get red on your window sill or make what they call chow chow. Thanks again! clo
What does it mean to harden something off.
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