I am getting antsy about wanting to work on the garden yet seem to lack the knowledge of when to start what. I have had the problem the last couple of years of starting things too late, either because of late frosts or to much rain.
Basically, what I want to know is are there any seeds i can plant outside yet? peas maybe? or is it still to early?
Sadly I don't have any good windows for starting seeds in the house as I would have to move my houseplants which barely survive in here as it is. If I start them in those little dome things I wouldn't know what to do with them once they outgrew the domes as I think it might still be to cold to put them outside, or wouldn't it?
Permalink Reply by XLFD on March 17, 2010 at 11:38pm
Last year, my brother started a garden twice in April then May, and lost a bunch of 3-8 inch high tomatoes and other sensitive veggies to late frosts. I started mine outside at the middle of May and had no problems, though I have a small garden and I started most of it inside. Crop yield won't be affected too much for most.
Check your seed packets to find out what time it suggests to plant your seeds in this area, or a gardening internet site for each seed type which may have some inkling of upcoming weather patterns(if you have internet access, LOL). You can probably start them inside 2-4 wks. beforehand and take them out on warm sunny days, until you feel it's safe to transplant them. If you have a 9-5 job, leave them out in the morning, bring 'em in at night, as a habit.
Alot of successful gardeners I know have built themselves a small greenhouse, to get started early, or keep things in almost year around. It's only March now, not the time to start outside really with frosty nites for the next 6 weeks+. Some have made make-shift shanties out of plastic sheeting with wood frames. Let's sun in, keeps cold out better. Do some experimenting. If you have a work shed for mowers and hand tools, try building a greenhouse off the side of it, as an example. You could even check some of the nurseries locally and see if they have some convex glass that they aren't using or that can be recut down smaller to make the roof out of. It magnifies the suns rays daytime, and holds heat many hours after sunset if you insulate the shed. Even pink panther insul. works good.