Starting Flower And Vegetable Seeds

To get a downloadable chart on starting flower and vegetable seeds, go to www.larrysagers.com . Click on the annual factsheet link on the home page.

The vegetable garden is calling and begging to be planted. The rich, dark soil is turned and fertilized, the beds are prepared and planting is under way. Spring weather cooperates on some days and not on others, but gardening continues in spite of everything. Learning what to plant and when to plant it is often the difference between a successful and unsuccessful garden.

We divide vegetables into several categories. Hardy vegetables include peas, onions, radishes, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, spinach and perennial asparagus and rhubarb. Plant these in the spring as soon as you can work and prepare the soil. These plants grow and produce best with cool, more moderate temperatures.

The next group is the semi-hardy vegetables. Many cole crops including cauliflower, lettuce, chard and Brussels sprouts fall in this group. Carrots, beets, potatoes and parsnips are also semi-hardy vegetables. Plant these about two weeks after you plant the hardy vegetables.

We plant tender vegetables as soon as the soil warms up and the danger of frost is past. Look for the apple blossoms because when the trees bloom it is time to plant these seeds. Wait a couple more weeks before setting out transplants of these vegetables. Tomatoes, cucumber, beans, corn cucumber and summer squash are in this grouping.

The last group is the very tender vegetables. These include watermelons, cantaloupes, winter squash, peppers, tomatoes and eggplants. These will not grow until the soil temperatures rise and daytime temperatures are always warm.

In addition to considering the time of planting, pay special attention to the variety of seed. It takes no more time, no more weeding, no more fertilizer and no more water to grow a good variety.

Variety choice is probably the No. 1 factor growing a productive vegetable garden. Our climate, soil and our growing season make it essential to use those plants that will produce high-yielding crops.

I am often asked what company has the best seeds. The seed industry is a carefully regulated industry that has many stringent rules and regulations. Seeds must meet certain requirements for germination and purity before they can be sold.

From this standpoint all the seeds you buy are "good." This means they are true to type and will germinate. What is not in the guarantee is that they will grow and produce abundantly in your garden.

Finding the right variety is sometimes a struggle if you are an inexperienced gardener. Favorite varieties not only need to be productive but must also be tasty. Your preference is the final decision as to what is best to grow in your garden. It does not matter how well it produces; if you don't like it, don't waste the space in your garden trying to grow it.

Some varieties are long-time garden favorites. Others are newer hybrids that are more expensive and harder to find. Some complain at the high cost of seed, but seed costs are a minor part of the overall production costs. In many cases the choice of the right variety makes the difference between luscious, abundant produce and no crop.