Stormcrow's Hobby Farm

[NanaK]

I should probably start my long growers soon. I just don't know when to without them being too big indoors by the time the outside is safe to plant them

Check you state agrcultual extension website. They should have advice for home gardeners. Planting dates, spacing, all kinds of stuff that will be particular to your zone.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Check you state agrcultual extension website. They should have advice for home gardeners. Planting dates, spacing, all kinds of stuff that will be particular to your zone.

All I can really find are the basics. Carrots, corn, broccoli, squash, that type of stuff. I'll do more digging when I get home and can sit down though. Wouldn't be the first time I glanced over what I was looking for

 

[NatJ]

Check you state agrcultual extension website. They should have advice for home gardeners. Planting dates, spacing, all kinds of stuff that will be particular to your zone.

Those websites are only somewhat helpful-- they usually say something like "after the last frost," and then give a month-long range for when that last frost is likely to be. Or they say "3 weeks before the last frost," which is impossible to figure if the last frost could come any time within a certain month.

So if you need to know whether to plant in February vs. May, it is helpful. If you already know to do it in February and just need to narrow down which week, it is much less useful.

(Of course a big part of the problem is that the last frost really does vary a lot from year to year, and there is no reliable way to predict this year's last frost until it is almost here.)

I should probably start my long growers soon. I just don't know when to without them being too big indoors by the time the outside is safe to plant them

Have you grown them before? If you expect to do it every year, it can help to keep notes of when you start them, when you plant them out, whether they are the right size, and whether they actually survive vs. die (whether the plant-out date was right for that year.)

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Those websites are only somewhat helpful-- they usually say something like "after the last frost," and then give a month-long range for when that last frost is likely to be. Or they say "3 weeks before the last frost," which is impossible to figure if the last frost could come any time within a certain month.

So if you need to know whether to plant in February vs. May, it is helpful. If you already know to do it in February and just need to narrow down which week, it is much less useful.

(Of course a big part of the problem is that the last frost really does vary a lot from year to year, and there is no reliable way to predict this year's last frost until it is almost here.)


Have you grown them before? If you expect to do it every year, it can help to keep notes of when you start them, when you plant them out, whether they are the right size, and whether they actually survive vs. die (whether the plant-out date was right for that year.)

No, these are all new seeds that need to be planted this early. My other stuff is fine waiting until being started indoors in April. But they also have shorter growing lengths. I didn'tthink to look at the days til harvest this year and have several that say 120 or so days and between our late frost and blistering summers, I'm hoping to get them harvested before the end of July at the latest since even my heat tolerant ones are said to start declining after 90F.

 

[NanaK]

Those websites are only somewhat helpful-- they usually say something like "after the last frost," and then give a month-long range for when that last frost is likely to be. Or they say "3 weeks before the last frost," which is impossible to figure if the last frost could come any time within a certain month.

So if you need to know whether to plant in February vs. May, it is helpful. If you already know to do it in February and just need to narrow down which week, it is much less useful.

(Of course a big part of the problem is that the last frost really does vary a lot from year to year, and there is no reliable way to predict this year's last frost until it is almost here.)


Have you grown them before? If you expect to do it every year, it can help to keep notes of when you start them, when you plant them out, whether they are the right size, and whether they actually survive vs. die (whether the plant-out date was right for that year.)

NC has a lot of info and links to NCSU agricultural dept. They have links and articles on all aspects from varieties, dates for seed starting or setting out starts , diseases, etc pertaining to home gardening.
Of course over time you will learn even more to fine tune all the info. Nothing like expience in your soil.

You are right, no two years are exactly the same.

 

[NanaK]

All I can really find are the basics. Carrots, corn, broccoli, squash, that type of stuff. I'll do more digging when I get home and can sit down though. Wouldn't be the first time I glanced over what I was looking for

Google "Montana vegetable seed starting dates".
I see a chart.

Also search "Your County, Montana vegetable seed starting dates".
Hope this helps!

 

[Sally PB]

and the roses.

What kind of roses? Pictures?

My grandmother had fabulous roses. She could make anything grow, but that generation grew up gardening.

 

[Sally PB]

We've had our two really nice days in February to make me wish it were spring. Reality comes back this weekend. It's a good thing; the fruit trees need to stay asleep for another 8 weeks or so.

But, yeah, I need dirt therapy.

The bees have had a couple days to clean the hive.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

What kind of roses? Pictures?

My grandmother had fabulous roses. She could make anything grow, but that generation grew up gardening.

right now, they are just thorns and dead heads. That's why they need pruning. and I get the hardware store double pops. Installed these last year for Valentines, I think. There's a picture on BYC somewhere. Now they look like this

 

[fuzzi]

We have some rain coming too but the temps are suppose to be nice. If I can finish prepping the bed before the rain comes I will plant my green peas this weekend.

I feel the need to play in the dirt.

I was going to plant peas today, but this morning I test drove a car my mechanic was selling (he gave me first dibs), then ran around town, going to the bank for the money, and then DMV for the registration/plates. I'm tarred.

Peas tomorrow.