Monthly Archives: February 2013

Seed Starting Date Calculator

Below is a seed starting date calculator from Johnny’s Seeds. I downloaded it from the interactive tools section on their home page. I put the date of our spring frost-free date (May 15 in the Santa Fe area) and it automatically put in all the dates from when to start seeds inside to when we can safely put the plants out in our gardens. I just copied the vegetable section here for you to see but it also has many flower planting dates as well-it was just too big to capture it all. If you live in another area or want to capture the flower information as well, then be sure to go to the interactive tool section at Johnny’s to get your own. But here it is for those of you who live in Santa Fe, NM for all the vegetables they list. If you click on the image it will show up clearer and you can print it.

2013 Johnny's seedstarting chart

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones and ‘average first frost free dates’ explained

NMSo what are USDA Plant Hardiness Zones? And what is this ‘first frost free date’ we hear about as gardeners so often?

The Plant Hardiness Zone is a standard set by the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) and is calculated by accumulating many years of data. Zones are used by gardeners to help determine which plants will most likely thrive in their area. “The maps are based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10 degree-F Zones”. There are 13 Zones, the coldest being Zone 1 and the warmest is Zone 13.

In Santa Fe, we used to be in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5 but now Santa Fe is in Zone 6b (-5 to 0°F). The reason our Zone has been changed according to the USDA is because it has better models to follow with more information gathered throughout the years- not necessarily because it’s getting warmer (although I do believe that too). Some areas in our county could be Zone 6a (-10 to -5°F) if they are closer to the mountainous areas. If you are not sure what zone you live in (where ever you live) go to the USDA plant hardiness site and type in your zip code and it will tell you what zone you are in-it’s as simple as that. So when you go to a nursery and the plant tag says zone 7-forget about it—it won’t survive our winters but any tag with Zone 6 or lower number should survive.

The average first frost free date is the date that we can safely put plants outside in our gardens. Notice I said average because some years we are colder and some years warmer. You’ll just have to watch the weather closely in spring for deciding if you want to try to sneak them out earlier in your area if spring appears to be a warm one. In Santa Fe our first average frost free date is May 15. So plant away outside after May 15, unless you hear we are getting a hard freeze! Of course if you are starting them in a hoophouse or greenhouse, you can start seedlings much earlier.

Now, once you know your planting zone and first frost free date, you can use the many tools available on the web for calculating all kinds of things from seed starting to succession planting to harvest times. Many seed companies have web tools to help you calculate the dates. In my next post I will show one such tool I use.

Why start vegetable seeds inside?

transplanted tomatoes

Why would any of us bother to start seeds when we can go to nurseries to buy the plants. Well, I do both. I can only speak for myself but I have grown all kinds of unusual vegetables that I couldn’t find at the nursery and I like to try something new and different every year. Besides being ‘The Tomato Lady’ here at the Santa Farmers Market, I really like to try some new heirloom tomatoes every year along with my tried and true varieties. Every year some new variety gets on my ‘all-star’ list at the end of the season while others don’t make the cut. In fact in some years, many don’t make the cut-I’m picky as hell about my tomatoes. If I don’t like them I don’t grow them again. Luckily, I like many tomatoes but they’ve got to taste good!

Some of the unusual varieties I have tried and loved eating are Atomic Red carrots, Cosmic Purple carrots, Craupadine Beets, Tarabais beans, Rattlesnake beans, Emerite beans, Fava beans, Parisian cucumbers, Poona Kheera cucumbers, and about 25 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes (too many to mention). None of these are sold as plant starts in the nurseries but you can buy some of the seeds at the nurseries and some seeds you have to order online.

Have you ordered your vegetable seeds?

seed catalogs 2011Looking through all the seed catalogs and planning what you’re growing next year is fun to do in winter. Now is the time to order your vegetable seeds if you haven’t already done so. Seed starting will soon be upon us! Many cool season crops can be started inside soon (some now) and put out in March and warm season crops can be started from seeds inside 6-8 weeks before the first frost-free date. Hard to think about starting any seeds when the weather is cold, windy and ugly but it is almost here. I have ordered some seeds but still have to get some and already feel a little behind.

If you are not one to start seeds inside, that’s ok-just wait till the nurseries get their transplants out later this spring and let them do the work for you. And don’t be afraid to buy transplants. I once was told you’re not a real gardener unless you grow everything from seed. Bull@#$%! Out here we need all the help we can get so I’m not against buying plants from nurseries at all. Besides I like supporting our local economy as well. So I grow some vegetables from seeds and buy some from the nurseries. What matters is that you get out in your garden and enjoy yourself and the fruits (or vegetables) of your labor.

Ground Hog Day 2013—Phil the Ground Hog predicts global warming-no more winters ever!!

Phil predicts an early Spring amid turmoil

Phil the ground hog predicts global warming

Phil the Ground Hog predicts global warming-no more winters ever!! But did you know..

Phil the Ground Hog, as we all know, has a little bro, Bobbi, who two years ago was involved in a big riot on Ground Hog’s Day when Phil was coming out (yes he’s gay and single Jody) of his ground hole to predict the weather for 8 weeks. Since then, after the repression of the Da La Lamba (turns out Da La Lamba was actually interested in Phil), things had been quiet until this year.

Phil's little brother Bobbi

Phil’s little bro-Bobbi

This year it was discovered that Bobbi who is originally from Ireland and recently moved back there, is actually the son of Wayne La Pier-cee! Rumors have swirled for years that Phil was gay (born of royal descent) and now this about Bobbi! Wayne came over years ago to Ireland to help the IRA (Irish Republic Army) get their guns and had an affair with Bobbi’s mother. No wonder Wayne is against extensive background checks! He doesn’t want anyone to know his background! Now this explains why Bobbi loves his guns so much and unwilling to give up his assault weapons! Bobbi has meanwhile been storing up a huge arsenal of guns, assault weapons and ammo because he knows that there is a big movement to ban them in America and is afraid it will move across the big pond. He can’t swim but knows those crazy Americans are always trying to set some new record swimming across the big pond and knows they will someday secede (opps I mean succeed). And some (notice I said some) of them just might secede like those gun toting Texans! Maybe they’ll go join up with Bobbi. Meanwhile Bobbi has installed armed guards in every ground hog school to protect his kind from those crazy varmits in America who know it is their god given right (really? I don’t remember reading that in the bible) to bear arms (legs and tails too). Opps, I’m wrong-it’s their Constitutional Right! But that’s ok, cause they’re always getting religion mixed up with their politics in America. And did you know that before ground hogs predicted the weather, hedgehogs predicted it? Yes, it’s true! But that’s another story for another day…

PS—Every winter I get delirious from lack of gardening and write these whimsical stories on Ground Hog’s Day when I really rather be out digging (like a ground hog). Still gotcha? Wanna read more? To read more on Phil the Ground Hog and his little bro Bobbi, go to my previous posts from the beginning of my delirium-The real story of Phil the groundhog! , Phil the groundhog continued.. , Possible Coup Coming on Ground Hog Day in 2011 and Ground Hog Day 2011-Phil Predicts an Early Spring -Fierce Battle Takes Place Before Ceremony .

For more interesting and maybe factual reading on the ground hog go to ‘What’s Your Ground Hog Day IQ’

DISCLAIMER: All names have been changed to protect my innocence.

10 more things to Do in February For the Garden

We may not be able to get out in our gardens now but it is time to get busy with things to do to get ready for the garden. March will be seed starting time and there will be lots to do before for that. I will be elaborating on some of these items over the next few posts as I see there is more info I can offer.

1. Go over your current seed supply. Organize it. Get rid of any seeds over 3 years old unless you froze them. Fresh seeds are essential for good germination. Older seeds have less success of germinating.

2. Decide which vegetables you want for this year and order any seeds you may need to get from seed catalogs.

3. Talk to your local nursery to see what they might be growing this year. I give a list to mine and they tell me what they are growing so I don’t duplicate. I prefer to let them do the growing, it’s just that I want to grow so many varieties that they might not have so I have  to start some by seed.

4. Stock up on any fertilizers, amendments, compost, nutrients, mycorizzial, and biomicrobes you may need for veggies. i.e- tomatoes, giant pumpkins

5. Check your grow light boxes to make sure they work. Get new bulbs if necessary.

6. Check grow heating mats to make sure they work and get more if necessary. Last year I had one and ordered another as my seed growing expanded.

7. Consider purchasing a seed mat thermostat. Last year I had to get one because the seed heating mats were running too hot and burning up the seeds before they have a chance to germinate. The mats stay 10° F hotter than the ambient temperature of the room so if we are having a really warm spring and the temperature is 80° F inside than the temperature would run 90°F in the seed flats-way too hot. The thermostat will keep the temperatures in the pots at whatever is best germinating temperature.

7. Purchase soil seed starting mix. I use Metro Mix 100 to start seeds. This stuff is great. The water doesn’t roll off the ‘dirt’ like many seed starting soils

8. Clean and sterilize any containers you plan to reuse for seed starting or transplanting seedlings. Use a 10% bleach to water ratio to rinse off the containers.

9. Buy any containers you may need for seed starting/transplanting. Most gardening stores sell up to 3″ in the peat pots. If you want a 4″ peat pot, go to Territorial Seeds. They are the only ones that have that size. I need them for my giant varieties cause they grow so fast. I also like the flats that have a raised lid. good for germination.

10. Read at least one good gardening book your interested in each month during the winter. I’m almost finished with ‘Four Season Gardening’ by Eric Coleman and just ordered ‘The Compost Tea Brewing Manual’ by Elaine R. Ingham.