planning for winter veggies...

[smom1976]

OK .. so I figure that I need to do some major planting in like end of october beg of september.. for my cold weather crop veggies.. I hope I am right on with this one.. but our "cold weather" starts like in jan-feb... so our cooler growing weather would be like nov dec and beg of jan..

ok ok

so my major question is this.. seeds are totally available NOW!! do I need to plan ahead for the carrots and broccoli and the others? so that I can get 2 grows in.. one started in jan.. and one started in october... do I need to pick up these seeds because I have noticed that I cant find seeds in the stores during that time..

 

[momofdrew]

yes

 

[Ridgerunner]

Momofdrew has the right idea. You might consider some of the cold weather greens, like kale, spinach or chard.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I think you have to start a lot earlier for things like cabbages, brussel sprouts, winter flowering brocolli, leeks, cavallero nero etc. These all need a long growing period otherwise you will have a great gap. They call this the "hungry gap" here in the UK.
Good luck with your planning, you are doing the right thing in thinking it out now
:rose Hattie :rose

 

[Ridgerunner]

You may have already done so, but I'd suggest getting with your county extension agent to discuss planting times for your area. They will know when to plant and which crops do best.

 

[bid]

Yes, get your seeds now! I started broccoli in August last year so it could go in a permanent spot in October.

 

[wifezilla]

Well, my cold weather planting so far has shown that leaf lettuce, long leaf tong ho, canton bok pac choy, spinach, brussel sprouts, and mesclun don't seem to mind getting snowed on...repeatedly

 

[digitS']

It could be my own northern exposure but it seems to me that nearly all of the seed companies are in the North. There are some noteable exceptions.

The Southern Exposure Seed Exchange is in Virginia with lots of heirlooms and just the name suggests . . .

Park Seed Company is in South Carolina. Park is a big, mainsteam seed company.

Willhite Seed is in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. I've looked thru their catalog a number of times but still haven't ordered from them. They've been around a good long time.

Surely, these folks have an understanding of the need for southern gardeners to grow cool-season crops late in the year.

Steve