Ready to Go - Spring, 2019?

[digitS']

Johnny's Seed has an Overwintering Planting Chart.
I'm fairly sure that it is based on the work of Eliot Coleman. I remember his description of "the Persephone Period," a time when plant growth pretty much comes to an end because of a lack of sunlight. It somewhat disregards temperatures, although Coleman was growing in unheated high tunnels.

The last 10-hour day of sunlight begins this time of no-growth. I have no idea how it might apply in southern climes. Johnny's location has a 5 November date. Out of curiosity, I checked Tyler, Texas. Shoot. The shortest day of the year has 10 hours and 2 minutes !

http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/Dur_OneYear.php

My last 10-hour day is the 31st of October. The chart gives you sowing dates based on the number of weeks to seed prior to this last 10-hour day. So, kale is about the middle of September for me.

A limited number of vegetable choices but how could we expect otherwise? There can't be many seedlings that can hunker down and survive northern winters and I'm suspecting that the several varieties of kale could for me, not just the Scotch. Mature Scotch kale does. However, it bolts to seed shortly after the new growing season begins.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

the hard neck garlic we grow will put up greens if we plant it early enough. then if there is heavy enough snow to protect them from hard freezes we can have green garlic any time i want to try to dig it up. which in all fairness usually isn't the middle of winter, but once spring starts up it is fair game.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That chart is limited, isn't it? It won't do me any good down here anyway, too far south.

I went to the Louisiana extension site and printed off a planting calendar which will do me a lot more good in zone 9A. Just to show how out-of-whack I am with most others it says I can plant snap bean seeds February 15, sweet pepper and tomato transplants March 1, and Irish potatoes January 20. A few things I can only plant in the fall, like leeks from seed and garlic. Many things I can plant both spring and fall. It also recommends certain varieties. I think it will be very valuable for the next few years.

 

[henless]

I've been using this one from Texas A&M. It's for Tyler, but it's close enough to me for it to work.

Vegetable Planting Dates

It has helped me with knowing when to plant what. Some stuff I didn't know we could plant in the fall also.

 

[ninnymary]

Steve, I did the chart and 10:00 is on November 20 and it comes back up to 10:00 on January 21. So does this mean I don't plant anything between those dates?

Mary

 

[digitS']

So does this mean I don't plant anything between those dates?

Yes, I believe that is what Eliot Coleman means.

Persephone was abducted to the underworld but is allowed to return to the Earth's surface for some time, each year. During that time, Earth life flourishes. When she returns to the underworld, life on Earth is dormant.

The hours of the day is Coleman's idea but they apply better for people in northern climes. You know, where winter is actually winter.

Steve

 

[digitS']

@ninnymary , for northern gardeners, Coleman is also saying to not sow seeds for kale within 6 or 7 weeks of that 10 hour sunlight date. So, my sowing date is coming up in September.

Kale is listed in @henless 's information from Texas A&M. They have it as August 15 through October 1.

I have bok choy sprouting in an outdoor bed. That seed went in to the soil about 2 weeks ago. Hopefully, it should be about ready to transplant into the unheated greenhouse and be ready for the kitchen in December. Two years ago, my scheduling was off. (Or, Persephone was given extra time to frolic, earthside .) All of my bok choy was ready and harvested in October!

I think that I have a better chance of having smaller plants to move to that planting bed, this year. Sowing seed in the greenhouse bed also but those are for February.

However, the south wall of the greenhouse needs some renovations. I have to replace the still. Also, new uv-resistant plastic film has to be stretched over that wall. I was lying in bed this morning trying to figure out how I can do that work without either clumsy me or the cold open air killing the peppers planted along that wall! I think that the peppers are doomed. ... Maybe, I'll put one in a pot and bring it indoors as a winter house plant ...

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Not exactly on topic, but close. I noticed one of the tomato plants that I grew from a cutting is finally flowering. Sometimes we don't get frost till way up in November. I am willing to protect it from the odd frost. Here's hoping I see Thanksgiving tomatoes!

 

[bobm]

However, the south wall of the greenhouse needs some renovations. I have to replace the still. What are you brewing, white lightning or whiskey ?

 

[flowerbug]

Not exactly on topic, but close. I noticed one of the tomato plants that I grew from a cutting is finally flowering. Sometimes we don't get frost till way up in November. I am willing to protect it from the odd frost. Here's hoping I see Thanksgiving tomatoes!

we can have those from our tomato plants if we take the green ones in before they get too cold and they don't spoil. we just put them out on a table in the garage and they gradually ripen. some years we've canned in late October and November from such tomatoes. they're not as good as a fresh ripe tomato off the vine, but they're still edible.