Growing My Way to Freedom #39: 2013 Planting Schedule

This is a record of my 2013 annual vegetable planting schedule. I will try to update it each time I plant seeds. I am hoping that I can use it to compare planting experiences (timing and success rates) over the years. Right now my thoughts are focused on the weather. The ground is covered in snow and the soil and ponds are still frozen. Where is the spring?

Seeds Starting Schedule (indoors)

March 22, 2013

Tray One:
A. Pak Choi (sprouted March 25)
B. Brussel sprouts – Falstaff (sprouted 4/2)
C. French Sorrel (sprouted March 29)
D. Bloomsdale Longstanding Spinach (sprouted 4/2)
E. Asparagus Peas (sprouted March 29)
F. Asparagus Peas

Flat – Pinetree Lettuce Mix (began sprouting on March 24, 2013)
Flat – Welsh bunching onions (did not sprout, seeds probably no longer viable)

March 29, 2013

Tray Two:
1. Amish Paste Tomatoes (sprouted 4/3)
2. Amish Paste Tomatoes
3. Principe Borghese Tomatoes (sprouted 4/5)
4. Sweet Pepper – Big Red (sprouted 4/15)

Flat – Opalka Tomatoes (sprouted 4/2)

Lesson learned: Next year I will be planting the Pak Choi in a tray by itself. The different sprouting times makes it difficult to prevent the sprouts from “damping off” or rotting or else I have to remove the cover and lose the humidity for the other sprouts that need more time to sprout. Garden and learn.

April 1, 2013

Tray One:

A. Replaced pak choi with Orach Rose

Flat – Greens Spigariello Liscia (sprouted April 10)
Flat – Claytonia Miner’s Lettuce
Flat – Beet Early Wonder (sprouted April 15)

April 10, 2013

Flat – Pinetree Lettuce Mixture (sprouted April 12)

April 21, 2013

Flat – Planted heirloom black zucchini seeds (sprouted April 23)
All tomatoes and peppers have been transplanted into larger pots to allow for growth.

April 24, 2013

Planted 72 Hopi Blue Dent Corn indoors. I understand they need to be transplanted once they reach about four or five inches in height or they won’t take outside well. My plan is to just make holes in the mulch and tuck them in with some compost from the pile. Later I will plant beans and pumpkins to compliment the corn. Corn sprouted April 29.

Flat – Planted basil (better late than never) Sprouted April 27.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

March 27, 2013 (outdoors)

Planted a dozen Sugar Sprint pea seeds, one row, in a snow-less corner of the garden.

March 29, 2013 (warm, sunny day in 50s, snow is melting quickly)

Pinetree Lettuce Mix
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach
Swiss Chard Bright Lights
Beet Early Wonder
Beet Golden
Snap Pea Sugar Sprint

April 3, 2013

Planted thirteen blueberry plants (4 Jersey, 4 Blueray, 4 Patriot, 1 Chandler)
Planted 200 onion plants: 100 Walla Walla, 100 Hybrid Copra

April 4, 2013 (warm sunny day in low 50s)

Pinetree Lettuce Mix
Bloomsdale Long Standing Spinach
Swiss Chard Bright Lights
Beet Early Wonder
Beet Golden
Snap Pea Sugar Sprint
Orach Rose

April 15, 2013

Finally, another sunny day in the low 50s. I am not seeing any activity from the seeds I planted outside yet; it has been too cold. I hope the seeds I planted earlier will survive without being eaten by something. Today I transplanted my lettuce starts outside with a request to Mother Nature to be kind to my little seedlings. They were over two inches tall and really needed to be transplanted. If they do not survive this weather, I can always try again with the next flat of lettuce that has already sprouted. I also transplanted my Opalka and Amish Paste tomatoes into larger pots and I have them in cold frames outside during the day. I bring them in at night because the temperatures are still cold enough during the night to kill them. We had snow and sleet the other just two days ago. Winter is not giving up easily this year.

April 24, 2013

Beautiful warm day, almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit. Yesterday the high temperature was 40 degrees colder with drizzle and wind thrown in as well. What a difference 24 hours can make!

Transplanted 11 pak choi plants to the garden
Transplanted two rosemary plants and one oregano (from a local greenhouse)
Planted nasturtiums seeds
(This was all near the pak choi to act as companion plants along with the onion and garlic bulbs I already have growing in that corner.)

Just a note…..I noticed today that the lettuce plants that self-seeded in the garden are almost as high as the lettuce plants I have been babying along for the last month.

April 26, 2011

Planted ten pounds Burbank Russet potatoes.

-- "To forget how to dig the earth and to tend the soil is to forget ourselves." M. Gandhi