Cool Season Crops: Direct Sow
VEGGIE |
Sowing Info |
Helpful Hints |
Stellar Varieties |
| BEETS | Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds; plant every 3 weeks for crops throughout the season | Soak seeds in warm water 24 hrs before sowing to aid in germination. Leave at least an inch of foliage on the Beet when harvesting to prevent bleeding during cooking. | ‘Detroit Dark Red’ |
| RADISHES | Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds; plant every 2 weeks til mid-spring, then again late summer. | Harvest radishes as soon as they are large enough to eat. The longer they remain in the ground, the spicier they become. | ‘Cherry Belle’ |
| CARROTS | Sow at 1/4” depth, planting every 3 weeks until early summer. They are not tolerant of drought conditions or compact soil. | Watch for orange crowns at the soil level as the plants mature. If this occurs, mulch to keep the sunlight from turning them green. | ‘Purple Haze’ (AAS)‘Tendersweet’ |
| TURNIPS | Sow at a depth of 4 times the size of the seeds. Continue successive sowings while the ground is still cool, and again in late summer for a fall crop. (Best crop is in the fall.) | Apply mulch or soil around the tops of the roots to eliminate green shoulders. | ‘Purple Top White Globe’ |
| SPINACH | Scatter seed and cover lightly with soil. Plant every 2 weeks for continuous harvest. | Plant some in a shaded spot to keep harvests going into the summer months as it bolts (goes to seed) when the days are hot and long. | ‘Bloomsdale’‘Melody’ |
| SWISS CHARD | Direct sow in spring, or start seedlings indoors in March to transplant in early April. | Some varieties of Swiss Chard are more tolerant of frost than others, take care not to plant too early in spring to avoid damage. | ‘Bright Lights’ |
| LETTUCE | Scatter leaf lettuce seeds and lightly cover with soil as soon as the ground is workable in the spring. | Several successive plantings of leaf lettuce will provide a constant crop for fresh salads | ‘Red Salad Bowl’ (AAS)‘Simpson Elite’ |
| PEAS | Sow seeds about 1” deep and 2” apart in rows as soon as the ground is workable in the spring. | If a trellis or fence is not feasible, look for upright pea varieties that don’t need a support to climb on. | ‘Patio Wonder’‘Sugar Snap’‘Little Marvel’ (shelling) |
| ONIONS | Onion sets and bunching green onions are planted 1-2” deep 3” apart early April to mid-May. | As the onion matures, mulch around the top to get a nice tapered “neck”. Harvest early for green onions; let others mature to bulbs. | ‘Candy’‘Red Defender’‘White Sweet Spanish’ |
| POTATOES | Plant seed pieces in shallow trenches 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 “ deep, spaced 9-12” apart, and cover with an inch or two of soil. | A well drained soil high in organic matter is preferred. They love fertilizer. Use GardenTone Organic Fertilizer when planting and Daniels Organic plant food as they mature. | ‘Yukon Gold’‘Red Pontiac’‘Kennebec’ |
