Sow What Now?

To everything there is a season, a time to sow and a time to reap…

Ecclesiastes 3:2

You have all of  your seeds and perhaps a touch of spring fever. Now, after poring over seed catalogs, reading up on best garden practices and gathering pots…you’re ready to grow! Not sure which seeds to sow now and which can wait a bit? No worries. First a few suggestions to keep in mind when starting your garden:

• USDA zone. Know the last frost date for your area. Combined with the growing information on the seed packet you can estimate the best time to sow the seeds you’ve chosen.
• Environment: Make careful observation of the space you’re growing in. Temperature and light greatly affect germination and seedling growth. After germination, seedlings require temps. from 55-65 degrees for healthiest growth. Too warm and your seedlings will outgrow their space before planting time, too cold and seeds won’t germinate at all. Seedlings will need 15-16 hours of intense light, any less and they will grow leggy and weak.
• Seeds: Read the seed packet! Familiarize yourself with the varieties you’ve chosen and the length of time to their maturity. Sow seeds with similar growing requirements at the same time.

To help you organize your seed-sowing efforts, here’s a list of common herbs and vegetables in the general timing which they should be sown. Note that (I) is for indoor sown seeds and (O) is for seeds directly sown into the garden.

• Late winter (I): Onions, leeks, chives, artichokes, scallions, celery, cabbage, broccoli, kale, raab, cauliflower, brussels sprouts.
• Mid- spring (I): Collards, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, chard, wong bok, tatsoi, kailaan, parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, lavender, sage
• Mid-Spring (O): Spinach, radishes, arugula, peas, bunching onions, beets, potatoes, fennel
• Late Spring (I): Melons, summer and winter squash, basils, marjoram, summer savory, anise
• Late Spring (O): Corn, carrots, parsnip, lettuces, Asian greens, bush and pole beans, cucumbers

Take the time to study your outside growing space throughout the season. Micro-climates can differ from town to town and even from yard to yard! You may be able to sow seeds outdoors earlier than this list suggests. Jotting observations in a garden journal is a wonderful resource for your future garden and it will help to answer the question “Sow what now?”