For people who want to grow more food with less work. đ± This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribersâhere's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."
did you direct sow seeds and they're still not coming up? đ€
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If you sowed seeds for peas, lettuce, kale, carrots, and other spring crops a while ago and seeing patchy germination (or no germination at all), the problem likely isn't the seeds... but the temperature of your soil. Although all of these seeds prefer cool weatherâand don't mind cool soilâthere's a sweet spot that gets them to sprout within a reasonable amount of time instead of waiting weeks for the soil to warm up. Peas, for example, could germinate in soil temps as low as 40°F, but would take a couple weeks longer. Meanwhile, those seeds are sitting ducks: susceptible to fungal infections or rotting in cold, wet soil while they wait for ideal conditions. The same goes if your indoor seed starting setup is in the basement or similar cold space. Your tomato seeds will eventually germinate in 50°F soil, but could take up to 6 weeks. If you wait until the soil's reached at least 65°F, then germination can happen in just 5 to 7 days. That's a huge difference! âI've got a chart of all the ideal soil temps for germinating common vegetable seeds right here.â (And I use this soil thermometer to gauge temps in spring.) Seasonal TipsSpeaking of seeds...Peaceful Valley is running a sitewide spring sale this week until March 22. Use code GROWSPRING15 to get 15% off your order!â I've been getting my seeds and frost cloth from this site for a few years, and also have fruit trees that all arrived in excellent condition. Ordering trees online can sometimes be hit or miss, but whoever Peaceful Valley uses as their grower has had beautiful, healthy trees the last couple years. They come well-packaged and actually look alive, unlike other (big name) nurseries I've tried in the past. Buying locally is ideal, of course, but in my experience, local nurseries don't necessarily carry varieties that are suitable for your climate. (Especially if your yard has a colder microclimate.) And don't get me started about Costco trees. đ I've been tempted by so many $20 bare root trees there that never made it! So I always start my search by narrowing down fruit tree varieties by zone (opting for trees one zone colder than where I live), then by bloom time (as late as possible to avoid our late frosts). I have better luck finding trees online, so if you feel your local selection is a bit limited, give Peaceful Valley a try. P.S. Don't sow seeds when the soil's still coldâhere's a chart of the ideal soil temperatures for vegetable seeds. P.P.S. Don't forget my special offer to celebrate the first week of spring: Enroll in Lazy Gardening Academy by Friday, March 27 (paid in full) and get complimentary access to my 1-on-1 virtual garden coaching! (A $200 value.) |
Garden Betty
For people who want to grow more food with less work. đ± This is my weekly newsletter loved by 38,000+ subscribersâhere's what one of them had to say: "These are not the regular run-of-the-mill garden-based emails. You actually touch on more unusual tidbits that encourage me to keep growing and learning."