I know it's probably a little early (and hopeful) to suggest thinking about spring before Christmas...and before the actual start of winter but I will anyway.  An earlier post on snow and winter garden work got me thinking about propagation.  Seed starting can begin in as little as a month for some locations, and while coming up with our organic package (shameless plug) I was able to compile some great information about when to start propagating different kinds of vegetables for early transport to the garden in the spring.

Any long-time organic gardener will tell you that a real organic garden takes careful planning, and some of that planning is done in the winter.  Starting seeds while there is still snow on the ground means you maximize your growing season and, with some vegetables, make it possible for multiple harvest in the same season.  Oh what a difference a few months can make.

These are a couple of the tables I came up with.  For a much prettier (yay colors!) version, check out the Organic Information that comes with all of our organic packages.

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Seeding, Hardening, and Trasplanting Dates

Late May is the default last frost date and is marked with **.  To use this chart, select your last frost date and shift all dates the equivalent amount.  For instance, if your last frost date is in early May, all squares would shift two to the left.

Mid-

Feb.

10-20
Late Feb. 21-28
Early March 1-10
Mid-

March 10-20
Late March 20-31
Early April 1-10
Mid-

April 11-20
Late-

April 21-30
Early May 1-10
Mid-

May 11-20
**Late May 21-31
Early June 1-10
Mid-

June 10-20

Leeks

Onions

Seed indoors

Harden
Trans-

plant

Parsley

Seed indoors

Harden
Trans-

plant

Peppers

Eggplant

Seed indoors

Harden
Trans-

plant*

Tomatoes

Seed indoors

Harden
Trans-

Plant*

Lettuce

Seed indoors (1)

Seed indoors (2)
Harden (1)
Trans-

plant (1)
Trans-

plant (2)

Cabbage

Broccoli (Early)

Kale

Swiss chard

Seed indoors

Harden
Trans-

plant

Melons

Winter squash

Zucchini

Cucumber

Basil

Seed indoors

Harden

Trans-

plant

Cabbage

Broccoli (late)

*protect from frost if necessary

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Very

Hardy

Hardy

Semi-hardy

Tender

Heat-loving

Sow 5-7 weeks before last frost

Sow 2-3 weeks before last frost

Sow 1-2 weeks before last frost

Sow on or just after the last frost

Sow 1-2 weeks after last frost

Leeks

Onions(seeds/sets)

Peas

Spinach

Dill

Garlic

Shallots

Lettuce

Mustard

Turnip Greens

Chervil

Coriander

Parsley

Beets

Carrots

Parsnips

Radish

Broccoli*

Brussels sprouts*

Cabbage*

Cauliflower*

Kale

Kohlrabi

Swiss Chard

Potatoes

Beans

Corn

Pumpkin

Summer Squash

Winter Squash

Zucchini

Cucumber

Lima Beans

Eggplants*

Tomatoes*

Peppers*

Cantaloupe*

Watermelon

Peanuts

Sweet potatoes

*Best as transplants

Sow 10-12 weeks before fall frost

Sow 8 weeks before fall frost

Beets

Carrots

Chinese cabbage

Endive

Radicchio

Rutabaga

Bok choy

Lettuce

Kohlrabi

Oriental radish

Snow peas

Spinach

Turnips

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