Can't seem to get organized. What seeds should I be starting now?!

[wsmoak]

It seems that I'm always saying, "I should have planted more [insert whatever I'm harvesting]" but of course it's always too late to start more NOW.

I'm slowly collecting data. (Packman broccoli does well as a Fall crop here. Bush beans work better than pole beans. We do not like eggplant or broccoli raab, won't plant those again!)

I look at pictures of people's gardens packed full of food... I can't seem to get organized enough to get the seeds started at the right time. Or I do six of this, six of that, get it out there, and when it's ready it gets eaten in a week. It's better than nothing, but it doesn't fill the freezer or pantry.

Does anyone grow (nearly) year round, and how do you keep track of what to start when?

-Wendy

 

[retiredwith4acres]

I usually take a garden catalog as soon as it arrives and start planning then. I have two grow lights I put in the basement and start seeds in Feb.+ I use the catalog to see how many weeks before last frost to start seeds. I don't start everything from seed because of available room. I can always buy plants at the farm supply in the spring. I plant what I know we will eat. If you are planting only to eat fresh, you grow certain amount and more if you are going to preserve or sell. Two to four cucumber and summer squash (might want succession in few weeks), ten to twenty tomatoes, two rows beans and again two more rows a few weeks later, four rows corn and four more rows a few weeks later, two to four rows of potatoes, green onions, spinach, radishes, lettuce, dozen cabbage plants, dozen broccoli, six peppers, row of sweet potatoes, turnips in late summer, do more onions, lettuce, spinach in late summer for early fall. These are most of the things we grow. We grow to preserve so these numbers are for that. I am sure I forgot some things but it will give you an idea.

Take a calendar or draw one, use the catalog and mark last frost date. Decide what you want to grow and using info in the catalog put it on the calendar as to when to start the seeds if you want to grow your own. Onions, lettuce, radishes, cabbage, broccoli are cold weather crops to start before last frost.

Sorry if I was off what you wanted. You probably know all this and I rambled.

 

[digitS']

I'm on the other corner of the country from you, Wendy. But, have you seen this:

Vegetable Garden Calendar, University of Georgia

And, how about this:

Your Southern Garden, a co-production of the University of Florida and the University of Georgia, Georgia Public Broadcasting

Steve

 

[Southern Gardener]

Here is my reference guide

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/en/commu..._guide/Louisiana+Vegetable+Planting+Guide.htm

 

[NwMtGardener]

Just this year, 2011, was the first time i ever really got organized ahead of time, wrote everything down on a little schedule as far as when to start what seeds (determined by counting back the weeks from average last frost in the spring), and when i would think about transplanting those seedlings outside, and when to direct sow some seeds. I had such a more productive garden because i used this method! It definitely takes more time initially, sitting down and writing everything out, but it was well worth it. And now that i have a schedule that worked pretty well for me, i'll be able to use it year after year, just modifying a bit each year. Good luck!

 

[StupidBird]

Hi! If you build a little cold frame (scrap wood, old window glass) or tunnel (opened tomato cages, remay or plastic), you can put in lettuces, spinach, radish, beet, carrot, chard, kale, and other cool weather greens. With protection, you might get some collards, turnips and kale to grow nice yet in the open garden.

I like the dedicated calendar idea.

 

[cityfarmer]

I usually take a garden catalog as soon as it arrives and start planning then. I have two grow lights I put in the basement and start seeds in Feb.+ I use the catalog to see how many weeks before last frost to start seeds. I don't start everything from seed because of available room. I can always buy plants at the farm supply in the spring. I plant what I know we will eat. If you are planting only to eat fresh, you grow certain amount and more if you are going to preserve or sell. Two to four cucumber and summer squash (might want succession in few weeks), ten to twenty tomatoes, two rows beans and again two more rows a few weeks later, four rows corn and four more rows a few weeks later, two to four rows of potatoes, green onions, spinach, radishes, lettuce, dozen cabbage plants, dozen broccoli, six peppers, row of sweet potatoes, turnips in late summer, do more onions, lettuce, spinach in late summer for early fall. These are most of the things we grow. We grow to preserve so these numbers are for that. I am sure I forgot some things but it will give you an idea.

Take a calendar or draw one, use the catalog and mark last frost date. Decide what you want to grow and using info in the catalog put it on the calendar as to when to start the seeds if you want to grow your own. Onions, lettuce, radishes, cabbage, broccoli are cold weather crops to start before last frost.

I do the same as retiredwith4acres. We have two grow light carts in our basement so I am able to start everything I need to indoors ahead of time. I have also started keeping a garden journal and write down when I planted, when it sprouted, when I transplated outside, when I harvested, what crops did well, what didn't, and what mistakes I made so I don't repeat them. Of course the weather outside makes a big difference from year to year but I have found that I can make adjustments when I start indoors and when I transplant outdoors. For example, in my area we are supposedly able to plant outside in mid-May since our last frost is supposedly right before that--lots of people plant the weekend after Mother's Day. For example, after 3 years of trying to hold my seedlings (and bigger than seedlings indoors due to mid-May snow/frost/freeze), I am going to shoot for outdoor planting of warm season crops to Memorial Day weekend.