BLOG: Extending the Season—Ready, Set, GROW!

This weekend will be four weeks before our “supposed” last frost date of April 15. 

The following seeds could already have been started indoors—collards, kale, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, eggplant, peppers, anise, parsley, summer savory, fennel and chervil.

The following could already have been started outdoors—peas, spinach, carrots, beets, leaf lettuce, chard, endive, green onions, turnips, parsnips, asparagus, horseradish and many herbs. The caveat to planting some of these crops is the phrase “IF your soil is workable." Of course if you use the Square Foot Gardening method, your soil IS workable because if necessary, you can warm up the soil by putting dark plastic on your raised beds. This year we didn’t have to worry about that at all.

With Square Foot Gardening (SFG) you can fudge planting dates by a few weeks.  Because your garden is so small, it’s easy to protect it from the weather (or critters).  As you can see in the photo, I was able to easily cover the 2’ x 8’ section of my garden that I planted with a “grow tunnel." It would have been impossible to protect a 10’ x 16’ section of a row garden as easily.

For protecting a 4’ x 4’ raised bed you can easily use two 10’ lengths of PVC pipe.  You will put one end of each pipe in an opposite corner and use a cable tie (zip tie) to connect the two pipes (see photo). Then you can use a variety of materials to protect your bed—a sheet if it’s just going to be chilly and plastic and thick blankets for a freeze.

If the daytime temperature is warm make sure you take off the cover or you will fry your plants. With the grow tunnel, I can open the ends for air circulation if it will still be chilly but sunny during the day. I can even throw a shade cloth over the tunnel if I think it will be very sunny.

Of course one of the quickest ways to jump-start your garden is by starting seeds indoors. Again, with SFG this isn’t as hard as it sounds. Remember, we’re only starting a few plants at a time to control our harvest—maybe only 2 cabbages, 2 broccoli and a few lettuces. 

If you grow your own transplants, you will need to “harden them off” before planting outdoors. You need to gradually (about 7-10 days) introduce your seedlings to the conditions outside—remember they’ve been pampered in your greenhouse, under a grow light or sitting inside by the window and the strong sunlight and cool nights would be too much for them. Increase exposure to sunlight a little at a time and reduce how frequently you water them, but don’t allow them to wilt. Avoid fertilizing them at this time. With SFG you don’t even NEED fertilizer as your soil is rich in compost. In addition to exposing them to sunlight, it’s just as important to expose them to the cold – again, gradually.

Here are some recommended minimum temperatures for various plants:

Hardy (40 F)—broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, cabbage, onions, leeks, parsley

Half-Hardy (45 F)—celery, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, endive

Tender (50 F)—squash, pumpkin, sweet corn

Tender (60 F)—cucumber, muskmelon

Tender (65 F)—basil, tomatoes, peppers

If you are interested in attending a Square Foot Gardening class, you are in luck.  The next class in Glen Burnie will be TOMORROW March 17. SFG 101 (Intro to SFG) will be from 10 a.m.-noon.  SFG 201 (Continuing SFG) will be from 1–3 p.m. You can take one or both classes. Because class size is VERY limited, you MUST register online (sfg4u.com). For TOMORROW’S class call me at 443-995-1288 to see if there’s room. The same classes will be offered on April 21, May 19 and June 16.