Hey Veggie Gardeners!

I'm so excited!! I got my tomato and pepper seeds last week and today my potatoes arrived (on the coldest day of the year!)!! We start planting February 14th with the potatoes and onions. My onions should be here late January/early February! I can't wait!

Who's ordered seeds? Who's started seeds already? Who's just waiting for the snow to melt?!?

I plan to start a garden once we move, but I have NO idea when to start my seeds or when to start planting! LOL I'm clueless when it comes to that stuff. I have a feeling I won't be very successful the first year or two...maybe even longer. I kind of have an idea that you plant different fruits/veggies at different times, but I have no idea when that is. haha! I hope to start canning the fruits of our labor.

BF got me a bunch of veggie seed packets (and catnip for Genever ) for xmas and a few little booklets about seeds and gerdening. Yesterday I went to the local nursery and bought one of those seed starter greenhouse kit thingys and some seed planting mix and sowed my seeds!



I'm kind of just going off my little Burpee booklets, or the seed packets, or Burpee's website. I'm no expert at all and am just hoping at least something will grow. I'm really excited about having a garden finally, as we lived on the 10th floor until we bought the house in August, and by then it was kind of too late to start, though we did buy a tomato, pepper and onion plants, which are still going in the garden, but not really growing. I am hoping my seeds will do better! I also bought some new potting soil/mulch mix and compost to mix in the garden, as I'm sure our dirt is old. haha. We also have to decide where to plant. The part with the best sun has lots of established plants in it already that we don't want to get rid of or move. One option is to dig up some grass to make a plot, or make do in another area of the yard.

Any resources you can recommend to help me in my adventures? Or personal advice?

DarkMavis, it's not a good idea to leave the seed box in full sun with a cover on it. Think about how warm a car can get even on a cold day if you park it in the sun. Seedlings need all the sun they can get once they are growing but that's after they sprout and you remove the cover or prop it up to let the extra heat get out.

Oh! OK then, I will move it right away. Thanks very much for letting me know! (i did say I am a beginner, right? )

edit- yes, I just read the directions that came with the greenhouse kit again, and it does say put it where it will get max sunlight AFTER they sprout. DUH. Thank you again! Feel free to set me straight anytime on this gardening stuff!

I'm really looking forward to growing some veg this summer. Last one was a total washout as I felt so lousy.

Stephanie, I have a list of veggies/dates to plant/varieties that are suited to this area. My neighbor is a horticulture professor at the uni here and gave it to me 15 years ago. It has never "done me wrong." Let me know if you'd like a copy.

I was having a look out back this week and noted that the winter weed crop is very sparse this year--a good thing. Maybe it will be a good year for veggies this year.

C

I'll probably raise some tomatoes from seed again this year. And I am investigating the prospect of growing a pineapple indoors.

My winter weed crop is quite prolific this year! LOL

Carla, I use the Tarrant County Extension Agency planting dates, but I'm always looking for other good resources. If you're up to it, maybe you can join the Dave's Garden's group of North Central Texas gardeners at their spring swap this year. It's usually in April or May in Arlington. People mainly offer flowers and such, but sometimes there are veggies. Mark got some really, really, really HOT peppers from a guy this past fall. There's food, plants, lots of garden talk, and it's all FREE!

Kara, google your county and state and planting dates. You should get some kind of planting guide for your area. There's also lots of places online to gather planting info.

I need to get my maters and peppers started this weekend!

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Kara, google your county and state and planting dates. You should get some kind of planting guide for your area. There's also lots of places online to gather planting info.

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Thanks! Btw - You stink for planting goodies already. We have about a foot of snow on the ground, so no plants even in the near distance for us.

Yes, well...we're starting the seeds inside under lights! That way, when it's time to plant out the maters and peppers, the plants will be big and strong. Taters and onions are planted early-mid February. All the other veggies we'll plant from seed directly outside. Last year was the first year we grew everything from seed. It was a learning experience!

That's still A LOT earlier than us! lol Our last frost date is May 17th.

What are those long skinny purple things??? They look like alien fingers. I assume the skinny green things are okra. Never had it before nor seen it in real life.

I have been looking through the seed catalogs. Have to see what seeds I have left from last year so I don't buy too much. There is a type type of sweet corn that I will probably try this year. I'll have all seeds purchased by mid Feb as I start tomatoes and peppers mid march. I usually plant veg garden all at once during memorial day weekend.

Fir more veg types google your states univeristy and the would extension. In Wisconsin for instance its UW extension. One should be able to find a horticulture site for your state which provides a wealth of info and publications.

This year my SIL plowed up about 6 gardens for my daughter. So I asked her if we could have one of them because we have so much shade around our house, all I can grow are impatiens.

So, I am looking to plant something I can take to a farmers market in the next town over. Ordered my seed catalogs. We can't plant outside until the end of May, but I can start stuff around April 1st inside.

I was thinking about everlastings? Or small indian corn or gourds.

It's fun to plan it out, even though I am looking at 8 inches of snow that fell yesterday.

Originally Posted by kara_leigh

That's still A LOT earlier than us! lol Our last frost date is May 17th.

What are those long skinny purple things??? They look like alien fingers.

I assume the skinny green things are okra. Never had it before nor seen it in real life.

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The long skinny purple things are purple hull black-eyed peas, still in the pod. Grew them for the first time last year.

I rarely plant veggies, but am pouring over the seed catalogs for flower seeds. I always start some heliotrope indoors; other than that, I really prefer to buy plants.

I have a pea sprout already, 2 days after sowing!! That means we should really get working on getting our soil ready soon, mixing all the compost and whatnot into it. I might work on that today and tomorrow, as it's going to be in the 70s again! Woo-hoo!

Peas don't like to be transplanted, so transplant them early. I direct sow mine. I've grown both "Alaska" and "Wando". The Wandos are more heat and cold resistant, which is good in my area.

Here are the quality control officers checking out my taters that arrived yesterday.

Aaaack! Then I better get tilling SOON and get those peas planted!

I also saw my broccoli is sprouting!

Originally Posted by stephanietx

Yes, well...we're starting the seeds inside under lights!

That way, when it's time to plant out the maters and peppers, the plants will be big and strong. Taters and onions are planted early-mid February. All the other veggies we'll plant from seed directly outside. Last year was the first year we grew everything from seed. It was a learning experience!

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I see salsa! All you need is some cilantro and a little garlic!

Unfortunately, I can't make salsa as the cilantro and garlic don't ripen at the same time the tomatoes do! Arg!!