My Gardening Techniques
1. Used raised beads as they tend to dry better and warm up earlier than in-ground beds.
2. Warm the soil with sheets of black plastic. Plant seedlings through the holes cut into it.
3. Build plastic tunnels over your seedlings to protect from wet weather and cold winds. Sold as floating row covers these covers provide 5-6 degrees of warmth.
1. NEW MOON At the new moon, lunar gravity is at its greatest. Plant root and leaf plants. This is the best time to plant above ground plants such as lettuce, broccoli, spinach, cucumbers, melons, peppers,
tomatoes, and other plants that produce their seeds outside the plants. Mow lawns.
2. SECOND QUARTER Plants with strong leaf growth, Plant two days before the new moon. Best for plants that produce above ground and seeds inside such as melons, peas, peppers, tomatoes, beans, squash. Mow lawns.
3. FULL MOON Light is waning. Best for Root crops including beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, garlic, peanuts, perrenials, bulbs, Best time to transplant and prune.
4. FOURTH QUARTER. Resting period. Don’t plant at this time. Prune, cultivate, and transplant.
Cool Season Vegetables: Require cool soil and air temperatures to germinate and grow. They have shallow roots and are in danger from drought. Most can take a light frost.
Warm season Vegetables require warm soil and air temperatures to germinate and grow. They have deep growing roots and can withstand drought. They will not withstand any frost.
1. beans
2. cantaloupe
3. corn
4. cucumbers
5. eggplant
6. melons
7. okra
8. pumpkins
9. squash
10. sweet potatoes
11. tomatoes
12. vine crops
13. watermelon
14. zuccini
Know your Planting Zones
| Zone | Fahrenheit | Celsius | Example Cities |
| 1 | Below -50 | Below -45.6 | Fairbanks, Alaska; Northwest Territories (Canada) |
| 2a | -50 to -45 | -42.8 to -45.5 | Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Flin Fon, Menitoba (Canada) |
| 2b | -45 to -40 | -40.0 to -42.7 | Unalakleet, Alaska; Pinecreek Minnesota |
| 3a | -40 to -35 | -37.3 to -39.9 | International Falls, Minnesota; St. Michael, Alaska |
| 3b | -35 to -30 | -34.5 to -37.2 | Tomahawk, Wisconsin; Sidney, Montana |
| 4a | -30 to -25 | -31.7 to -34.4 | St. Paul, Minnesota; Lewistown, Montana |
| 4b | -25 to -20 | -28.9 to -31.6 | Northwood, Iowa; Nebraska |
| 5a | -20 to -15 | -26.2 to -28.8 | Des Moines, Iowa; Illinois |
| 5b | -15 to -10 | -23.4 to -26.1 | Columbia, Missouri; Mansfield, Pennsylvania |
| 6a | -10 to -5 | -20.6 to -23.3 | St. Louis, Missouri; Lebanon, Pennsylvania |
| 6b | -5 to 0 | -17.8 to -20.5 | McMinnville, Tennessee; Branson, Missouri |
| 7a | 0 to 5 | -15.0 to -17.7 | Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; South Boston, Virginia |
| 7b | 5 to 10 | -12.3 to -14.9 | Little Rock, Arkansas; Griffin, Georgia |
| 8a | 10 to 15 | -9.5 to -12.2 | Tifton, Georgia; Dallas, Texas |
| 8b | 15 to 20 | -6.7 to -9.4 | Austin, Texas; Gainesville, Florida |
| 9a | 20 to 25 | -3.9 to -6.6 | Houston, Texas; St. Augustine, Florida |
| 9b | 25 to 30 | -1.2 to -3.8 | Brownsville, Texas; Fort Pierce, Florida |
| 10a | 30 to 35 | 1.6 to -1.1 | Naples, Florida; Victorville, California |
| 10b | 35 to 40 | 4.4 to 1.7 | Miami, Florida; Coral Gables, Florida |
| 11 | Above 40 | Above 4.5 | Honolulu, Hawaii; Mazatlan, Mexico |
Plant | Seeding Date | Sowing Date | Spacing Plant Row | Depth | Maturity | Comments |
| Asparagus | N/A | Perennial... plant in early spring | P=14" R=24-36" | 4-5" | Second year | Do not harvest the first year to allow the plant to become established. Apply a heavy mulch in winter to help prevent the roots from heaving out of the ground. |
| Bush beans | N/A | April-May | P=4" R=18-24" | 1 1/2" | 60 days | Harvest when young and tender. Plant a fall vegetable in this area after harvest. |
| Pole beans | N/A | May | P=36" R=48" | 1 1/2-2" | 60 days | Plant 4-6 seeds around a 6-8 inch pole or use a trellis. |
| Beets | N/A | April and again in June | P=4" R=18" | 1/2" | 40-70 days | Thinned plants and beet tops may also be eaten. Dig and store in a cool place prior to the first freeze. |
| Broccoli | N/A | April-May | P=24" R=30-36" | 1/2-1" | 4-5 months | Harvest the main Broccoli heads before they open. The plant will produce an extended crop of smaller heads through the rest of the summer |
| Cabbage | Feb-March | April | P=24" R=24-36" | 1/2" | 4-5 months | Requires a soil pH of 5.5 or higher. Feed with a high nitrogen fertilizer every 4 weeks. |
| Carrots | N/A | April July | P=2-4" R=18-24" | 1/2" | 90 days | Sow early, harvest when young. Sow successive plantings every three weeks. |
| Cauliflower | Jan.-Feb | May | P=15" R=24-36" | 1/2" | 4-5 months | Won't tolerate high temperatures, harvest before the head opens up. Sow seeds for a second crop in May. |
| Corn (sweet) | N/A | May | P=3" R=24" | 1" | 2-3 months | Should be planted closely together in blocks rather than rows to insure good pollination. Corn is at it's very sweetest the moment it is picked. |
| Cucumbers | N/A | May-June | P=36-48" R=36-48" | 1" | 2-3 months | Spread a mulch of black plastic to the area before the vines begin to spread. Prompt harvesting will prolong the fruiting period. |
| Eggplants | Feb.-March | May | P=24" R=36" | 1/2" | 4-5+ months | Needs excellent drainge, a long growing season and warm soil. |
| Lettuce | Feb.-March | April | P=8-12" R=18-24" | 1/4" | 70-90 days | Grows best in the cool temperatures of spring and fall. Needs very rich soil and lots of moisture. Plant successive crops every two weeks til the end of April. |
| Onions | February | April | P=3" R=12-18" | 1/2" | seeds 3-4 months | Plant as early as possible. Apply a fertilizer high in phosphorus and potash. Onion sets may also be grown in planters. |
| Peas | N/A | April every 2 weeks | P=3-6" (doubled rows) R=72" | 1 1/2-2" | 60 days | Do best in cool temperatures, so plant early and harvest when the peas are young. |
| Peppers | Feb.-March | May | P=24" R=24" | 1/2" | 4-5 months | Do not provide too much nitrogen or you'll have lots of plant, little fruit. A black plastic mulch will warm the soil and promote good growth. |
| Potatoes | N/A | April-May | P=8" R=36" | 3-6" | 90-150 days | Plant a chunk of a 'seed' potato, containing 2 or more eyes. Harvest when the vine begins to die or has died completely. Leave the potatoes laying on the ground for a day to harden them and prevent bruising. |
| Pumpkins | N/A | May | P=6-8" R=36" | 3-4" | 4-5 months | Pumpkins take up a lot of room, so sometimes it is better to plant them outside of the garden. Will tolerate a small amount of shade. |
| Radishes | Feb.-March | April | P=1-3" R=18-24" | 1/2" | 30 days | Plant radishes early. They will go to flower when the warm temperatures arrive. |
| Rhubarb | N/A | Perennial... spring | P=24" R=24-36" | 3/4" | Second spring | Ready to harvest early in spring. Rhubarb likes soil high in organic material. Keep the bloom spikes cut off. Easily dividable. |
| Spinach | N/A | April | P=6" R=12-18" | 1/2" | 90 days | Soil pH should be between 6.0 and 6.7 Apply nitrate of soda between the rows to stimulate growth. Harvest spinach when young or the plants will go to seed. |
| Squash | N/A | May-June | P=36" R=36" | 1/2-1" | 4-5 months | Grows well in warm areas, prefers rich organic soil. |
| Tomatoes | March | May | P=30-36" R=30-36" | 1/2" | 4-5 months | Provide frost protection when first planted. Tomato plants may be trained on stakes, grown in cages, or allowed to crawl along the ground. Tomatoes will ripen after they have been picked. |
| Watermelons and muskmelons | N/A | May | P=72" R=72" | 1" | 4-5 months | Do best in sandy soil with plenty of added manure. Top dress with high nitrogen/potash fertilizer. Needs warm temperatures |
| Month | Indoor Seeds | Outside Ground |
| Jan | Cauliflower | |
| Feb | Cabbage, eggplants, lettuce, onions, peppers, radish | |
| March | Tomatoes | |
| April | | Asparagus, bush beans, beets, brocolli, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, onions, peas biweekly, potatoes, radish, rhubarb perrenial, spinach |
| May | | Bush beans, pole beans, brocolli, cauliflower, corn biweekly,cucumbers, egplants, peppers, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, watermelon, muskmelons |
| June | | Beets |
| July | | Carrots |
Start your garden with this template.
| Italian Parsely Other Spices | Basil Oregano | Garlic | Onions |
| Small Tomatoes | Bifsteack Tomatoes | Green Pole Beans | Yellow Pole Beans |
| | | ||
| SWEET PEPPERS | HOT PEPPERS | BROCOLLI Replant Lettuce | |
| Summer Squash | Cucumbers | Swiss Chard | |
| Beets | |||
| Early Carrots Replant Kale | Lettuce Replant Fall Carrots | Lettuce Replant Fall Carrots | |
| Scalions Replant Kate | |||
| Alpine Strawberries | |||