Best Time to Plant Your Vegetable Garden
One of the biggest questions that new gardeners ask is when the best time to plant vegetable garden is. This is a great question and is one that varies depending on the climate that you live in. Those who are looking for a specific day and month of the year will be disappointed because this is not the way to answer that question. When to start planting is all dependent on the weather.
Keep in mind though that even the best gardener can lose plants due to unexpected frosts and an early winter that they were not expecting. Gardening can be a trial and error project but if done properly it is well worth the effort.
Planting guides for vegetables will state that if you’re growing any spring vegetables, you must plant them during late winter. Summer vegetables must be planted in early spring–after the final frost–while fall vegetables must be planted in mid-to-late summer.
When you are planting many of your spring vegetables you need to be certain that the weather stays mostly around 50 degrees during the evening. When the weather gets warmer at 60 to 70 degrees it is a good time to plant summer vegetables. When looking at labels that state “warm season” and “cool season,” remember this is referring to the temperature outside, not necessarily the time of year. Thus vegetables that may not be suitable for planting one part of the country can flourish in another during certain times of the year.
Vegetables like onions, peas, salad greens, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, have the ability to flourish in low winter temperatures, even though it is not advised. For many people, starting out a vegetable garden with early spring vegetables can be a better choice.
Vegetables like eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, melons and squash, will perish rapidly if you attempt to grown them in weather that is less than 50 degrees. The only method you can use to maintain these plants outside is to shield them with a plant protection apparatus such as a cloche or cultivate them in a greenhouse.
When planning a vegetable garden, remember that you want to plant all warm season vegetables after the last frost. Pay attention to these frosts, and plan accordingly in order to choose the best, safest growing option. Planting zones and recommended times are usually listed on the back of seed packets.
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