what can be grown in early spring?

Hanako

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My gardening zone is 5 and I live in northern Michigan, in the upper part of the lower peninsula.

I'm just wondering what can be grown in early spring, this is in regards to vegetable gardening. I would be container gardening, so not being able to plant in the ground due to frozen soil, doesn't apply to me. When I say 'early spring' I basically mean early to mid April until when the main growing season starts where I live; for me this is at the end of May, about 29-30th.

I have a some questions about it. A planting chart was given to me. Now the chart isn't for the state I live in, but the gardening zones that the planting guidelines give in the chart (zones 5-6)
fall under my gardening zone which is 5. Basically what I'm asking is although it's for a different state, could I use it as my planting guidelines for spring planting and growing cold weather crops?

People have also suggested that I need to prevent my soil from becoming frozen, which I do by insulating the containers and overwintering my containers. However how do you overwinter a container? I tried to do research on this, but all I found was info on overwintering containers for planting trees, nothing for vegetable gardening.

People have told me that it's possible to grow stuff in containers in early spring if I were to insulate the containers and/or use row covers to warm the containers and boost the temperatures.
However which is the best way to insulate the containers? Should I just wrap them in black mulch (on the outside of the container) or should I cover them with row covers? Or should I use a combination of both black mulch and row covers, or would this overheat the plants? By black mulch, I mean the black 'paper' that is used for gardening that you use to warm the soil.

Below is the link for the chart for reference:

http://www.thevegetablegarden.info/...anting-schedule

Another question I have about the chart, is with the cold weather crops and the planting dates given, it doesn't specify whether from direct seeding, or from transplants. With the planting dates given for the cold weather crops, could I just direct sow from seed outdoors?

The other question I had is that I know all cold weather stuff likes to be grown in cold weather, and it's when it grows best; however I know that some cold weather vegetables are hardier than other cold weather vegetables. The two questions I have in regards to this are these; some cold weather veggies are considered hardy.

What is the temperature range they can stand? That is what is the lowest temperature range that they can survive (and by 'survive' I mean that they will still be healthy after enduring it, not just struggling to survive and/or dying). I'd also like to know which of the veggies listed below are considered very hardy and which are considered more 'tender' that is they're still hardy but can't survive temperatures as low as the 'very hardy' vegetables. All of this is in reference to cold weather stuff.

I would REALLY appreciate clarification and information regarding the hardiness of cold weather veggies! This would be greatly appreciated!


carrots, kohlrabi, beets, turnips, cabbage (red and green), broccoli, lettuce, spinach, collards, kale
mustard greens, kale, collards, daikon (which is a large white Asian radish), red radish, swiss chard
 

lesa

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Welcome! If I were you, I would look into cold frame gardening. You put your plants inside a glass/insulated structure (basically a box with windows on top). You need to keep your seedlings from freezing- so don't start too early. Have a heavy blanket handy if frost is predicted. The plants you have listed would be perfect for cooler weather.
 

momofdrew

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A lady who ran her own green house once told me how to over winter potted plants.... before frost she would cover them with tarps so they wouldnt get soggy which is a big problem in the spring with snow melt and then she would use straw or leaves to cover the the containers...the deeper the straw the better...I tried it and it does work... I had a bunch of Day lilies and Iris' in containers which were given to me and didnt have time to get them into the ground before fall and every one survived...

zone 5 is zone 5 where ever it doesnt matter if it is Massachusettes or Michagan

I have used row covers in early spring to help grow early veggies...I am in zone 4 and in early April have started seeds of lettuce, peas, spinach, beets, cole crops like cabbage kale and broccoli in my raised bed covered with a doubled row cover...I use my raised bed which is 20 inches deep because a lot of time the snow in the regular garden hasnt melted yet...I usually cover it with the row cover to help warm the bed before planting which melts the ice early...

oops
I meant to tell you about the cold frame I have used which is actually the winter top to my chicken run it is 4X8 and has coorigated plexi glass on the peaked top and along the 4 foot sides and plastic on the 8 foot lengths which is removable and it fit over one of my raised beds...I used it a few years ago and I had my tomatoe and pepper plants out there in pots in early May which is really early here and and the hardened off really well that year...
 
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