It’s time to plant cool-season veggies, so named because they germinate and grow best in cool weather. Last week I focused on asparagus, onions, and potatoes, and this week it’s all about leafy greens (arugula, lettuce, spinach, etc.) and root crops (beets, carrots, radishes, etc.), plus the cruciferous trifecta -- broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower. 

Folks new to gardening can be intimidated by the thought of planting from seeds, and admittedly, the process is more complicated and requires more patience. You sow the seeds, wait for them to germinate, thin the seedlings as they emerge, and water judiciously along the way. But with transplants, you simply plop them in the ground and water them now and then. The process is much simpler, and the gratification is immediate.

Fact is, neither method is necessarily better, but for a variety of reasons I prefer to grow primarily from seed, and choice is one of them. Take lettuce, for example, something I grow a lot of. I can choose from several different types of lettuce in the form of seeds — looseleaf, butterhead, romaine, heirloom, and so on. And I can find dozens of varieties of each type with different colors and characteristics — green, red, speckled, dwarf, and so on. But only two or three types of lettuce transplants are ordinarily available, and they’re usually pretty ordinary.
Price is another consideration. A packet of lettuce seed that sells for $2.99 may contain as many as 500 seeds, and I can make successive sowings of those seeds over a period of several weeks. A single lettuce transplant can easily cost just as much (or more), and once you’ve harvested the leaves, that’s pretty much it.
Another issue — transplant shock, which is the failure of plants to root well. When you direct sow seeds in the garden, the plants root out and grow in the same spot, developing strong roots from beginning to end with no disturbance. Transplants, on the other hand, are raised and nurtured in a climate-controlled greenhouse, then thrust into a new environment (your garden), and such an abrupt transition can (and often does) result in transplant shock, which affects plant health and survivability.
So what can you plant now from seed or transplants? Here’s a list.


Plant Now from Seed (Unless Otherwise Noted):

*From transplants
**From roots, tubers, or sets
This is far from a complete list, particularly with regard to leafy Asian greens such as bok choy, tatsoi, and mizuna.

Do not, under any circumstances, plant warm-season veggies — beans, corn, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, okra, peppers, squash, and tomatoes this early in the season -- because they simply will not survive temps in the low 40s (without protection). But more importantly, soil temperatures are way too cold and their seeds will quickly rot in the ground. Better to wait until early to mid April, or until overnight temps hover around 60 degrees. 

Our seed selection is about as good as it gets, with outstanding selections from Renee’s Garden, Botanical Interest, Cornucopia and more, many of which are non-GMO and organic. If it grows here -- whether flowers, vegetables, or herbs -- chances are we’ve got it. 

There’s a wealth of information on the back of seed packets, including critical details such as planting depth and recommended spacing between plants, as well as useful info on when to plant, how long it should take the seeds to germinate, and when you should expect to harvest. Most also include growing notes and harvest tips and some even have recipes. So save those seed packets!

To coincide with next weekend's Strawberry Festival, I’ll give you tips and tricks on how to grow this delicious fruit and reap harvests for years.