Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
climate that has a short growing season (early June to late August,
for example), starting your seedlings indoors in early spring is neces-
sary if you want to have a productive garden. Otherwise, vegetable
plants such as tomatoes, peppers, and squash will not have enough
warm days to mature if planted by seed.
For gardeners who want to have an early spring harvest of salad
greens or baby carrots, growing indoors is a great place to start.
Unpredictable weather during late winter and early spring can make
outdoor planting nearly impossible. If you live in a hot climate, it's
important to start vegetables such as spinach and brassicas early
enough so they can be well established before the summer heat
arrives. They need be started in early spring when the weather is not
cooperating, so starting your seedlings indoors is the answer.
Smoothie Garden Solution
Humans have used the phases of the moon as a guide to identify
the best times for planting since ancient times. According to this
method, plant above-ground vegetables when the moon is increas-
ing (waxing) and below-ground vegetables when the moon is
decreasing (waning). The Old Farmer's Almanac website
(
www.almanac.com
)
and the gardening advice at
www.your-
vegetable-gardening-helper.com
both have great information on
the subject.
For harvesting vegetables in the fall and winter, plants usually
need to be started in July. Cold or rainy weather often hits before
they can mature, so growing them indoors is one solution. Another
way to extend your growing season is to place a heater in your
greenhouse, giving your veggies the extra warmth they need to grow
and be harvested during the cooler fall and winter months. Start
