Vegetable garden season extension is a term used for growing vegetables outside of the natural growing season—that is during winter, early spring, or autumn spring when outdoor temperatures are too cold for most plants. To extend the season, plants must be protected by covers small or large. When soil and air temperatures fall below minimum […] More
Cool-season vegetables are for planting and growing in late winter, early spring, or in late summer, autumn, and early winter. These crops do best in temperatures between about 40°F and about 70°F (4-21°C). Many can withstand temperatures colder, but few can thrive in temperatures warmer. Make sure that cool-season crops planted in spring have enough […] More
Planting vegetables in the right season will greatly enhance your harvest. Most vegetables belong to one of two seasonal groups: cool-season crops and warm-season crops. The planting date for each vegetable depends upon the temperature and the weather that the vegetable can best tolerate. Cool-season vegetables grow best in early spring or in late summer […] More
Success in growing many vegetable crops is driven by warm temperatures. Not surprisingly, warm-season vegetables grow best in warm weather. Here are the key temperatures you need to keep in mind to successfully grow warm-season vegetables: Tender and very tender vegetables Warm-season crops can be classified as tender and very tender. Tender vegetables can take […] More
The last frost date in spring and the first frost date in autumn mark the beginning and end of the natural garden growing season. Use these dates to plan seed starting, transplanting, and harvesting. The time to plant seeds in the garden or start seeds indoors depends on the plants you want to grow and […] More
There are proven ways to extend the growing season. Season extension is the garden term for growing crops outside of the natural growing time Mother Nature gives each year. Days and nights with frost or freezing temperatures are not part of the natural growing season. But very cold weather does not mean you can’t keep […] More
Plant spinach in cool weather. It is well suited for the spring and autumn gardens. Plant spinach before the weather warms in spring and again as the weather cools in early autumn. (When days lengthen in late spring and the weather becomes dry and hot, spinach bolts and stops making new leaves.) Spinach can be […] More
A row cover is a lightweight, translucent fabric or plastic cover used to protect plants from inclement weather and pests. Row covers are also know as fabric row covers and floating row covers. Row covers are commonly sheets or rolls of spun-bonded polyster material that can be easily rolled or draped over a row of […] More
A cold frame can extend the growing season, either in spring or autumn. A cold frame is a sturdy, open-bottomed box with a glass or plastic lid that lets sunshine in but keeps the cold out. Sunlight trapped in the closed box heats the air and soil inside allowing plants to thrive. In spring, cool-weather […] More
Experienced gardener or new gardener your gardening success will be greatly helped by planning the garden before you begin the growing season. The purpose of a garden plan is to make your work less and your returns more. A garden plan and a couple of supporting lists can guide you through this growing season and […] More
The most useful measure of the vegetable garden growing season is soil and air temperature averages. Warming soil temperatures activate root growth and the uptake of moisture and nutrients. Soil temperature is very closely affected by the air temperature. As days lengthen in spring and the air temperature warms toward summer, the soil temperature follows. […] More
Leafy greens, root vegetables, and members of the cabbage family are good fall harvest crops. These crops can be planted in mid- to late-summer for fall harvest. Fall harvest crops are generally cool-weather crops, the same ones commonly planted in late winter or early spring for late spring or early summer harvest. Where autumn weather […] More
Stephen Albert