Is it too early to plant beets and peas?

[trunkman]

I live in zone 7b and can't wait to start a cool weather garden and I'm wondering if it is ok to plant beets and peas right now. Our daytime temps are now reaching high 50's and low 60's but our night temps are still in the mid 30's. Or should I wait a bit longer? :/

 

[bigredfeather]

If you can work the ground, it's not too early to plant either of them. I remember one year when I was a kid my Grandma had peas that were 4-5" tall on Easter. We got a couple inches of snow and it didn't hurt them a bit. Both grow well in cool soil.

 

[bid]

Hi trunkman and

These warmer days have me ready to plant something also! Personally I think it is too early yet. I have planted them in February before, last year I sowed on Feb. 20 I see from looking at my journal. They don't seem to produce any faster though. My harvest dates are all pretty much around the same dates. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Old Man Winter has a few more tricks up his sleeve before he is done for this year. Just my my opinion.

 

[trunkman]

If you can work the ground, it's not too early to plant either of them. I remember one year when I was a kid my Grandma had peas that were 4-5" tall on Easter. We got a couple inches of snow and it didn't hurt them a bit. Both grow well in cool soil.

Thank you, that's great, I'll have them planted by the end of the day now, time to get busy!!

 

[vfem]

I planted some, but I have row covers out. I wouldn't dare mess with mother nature. She's troublesome that lady!

 

[wifezilla]

I just planted stuff in a cold frame. I also am preparing to plant in Wall-O-Water type things. If you provide protection, you can plant now, but be careful.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I think you will be OK with both those. The planting instructions are "as soon as the ground can be worked in the spring". With me, that is usually mid-March before I get the ground dry enough to work. I have not had that in February yet, but I have hopes for the end of this week according to the weather report. I prepared a section of my garden last fall so I have minimal work to get it ready this spring. These are cool weather crops so early is nice.

I got a calendar from my extension office for Arkansas. Just for the record, it says I can plant English peas the end of January. The February list is horseradish, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Chard, beets, radish, lettuce, kale, mustard, turnips, irish potatoes, onions, and spinach. You are further south zonewise so you should be a bit earlier than me.

Today is dormant oil day on my fruit trees. A nice warm day yet before they bud out. Wind is a problem, but nothing is perfect.

My last freeze date is around April 1, April Fool's Day. Seems appropriate.

 

[April Manier]

Yes! Get your peas in. Beets are a little early, but you might have sucess sowing seed a little thicker. Our neighbors peas are 4 inches high already. We are putting ours in this weekend.

 

[digitS']

I wish I had a protected growing arrangement with things like peas and beets, but I don't. In fact, they are out in my very exposed, large garden. The one that the neighbor with the tractor and tiller cultivates for me each year.

I used to wait for another guy who didn't show up until he had his spring wheat fields tilled and planted . . . I'd be getting rather desperate to get any cool-season crops in the garden by that time!! But, he retired and maybe this guy will be a little more prompt.

The soil conditions are the most important if you are talking about an open garden, as has already been said. And, then it is soil temperature that will determine germination time. Note that it takes 36 days for peas to germinate at 41F and only 14 days for them to emerge at 50. Of course the soil is likely to be warming over the course of a month but you could sow the 1st time, wait 2 weeks and sow again -- and have both plantings show up on the same calendar day!

I am usually slow about getting off the dime with outdoor sowing (and I can't just blame the tractor guy ). I would really like to deal with germinating weed seeds early rather than later when there are vegetable seedlings in and amongst 'em :/.

The first things out in my garden are onion sets and spinach seed and rather than use a calendar to tell me when to plant the peas - the Oregon grape (Mahonia) has been my guide for many years. When those yellow flower buds begin to open, I know it makes no sense to wait a moment longer!

Some people use Forsythia as a guide but the weather here is often very rainy when that particular yellow flower blooms. I claim that the weather gods are attempting to drown the bright Forsythia blooms . . .

Steve

welcome to TEG

 

[jojo54]

Welcome from BC, Canada.