Yes It is Time to Plant, Sort Of

When I say it is time to plant I’m saying this with conditions. First, you can start green onions, but not melons. This may be obvious to most of you, but for those of you who are brand new to the gardening world, and the local food movement in general, it is not a given that people know about seasonal eating and growing. I get enough odd questions at the farmer’s market to know this. Like, in mid-May someone will ask, “Do you have any acorn squash?”

Second, to start seeds successfully in early February it sure helps to have a space indoors to start your seeds and have some supplemental lighting unless you have a solarium or serious window light. Your seedlings will otherwise get leggy searching for more light. LED lights are really cheap and will go a long way to making your early gardening season successful. I use these because they can daisy-chain together and can be on the same time. They pay for themselves quickly. Each light will illuminate about 3’x3’.

Finally, a greenhouse or cold frame is needed to really get the seedlings growing well until they can be transplanted outside. They take away the wind and rain, and boost daytime temperatures so that the seedlings grow well. It can be as simple as four two-by-tens nailed into a square with some plastic stapled to the top, leaving some of it unfastened to allow access, or an expensive, full-on, four season greenhouse with roll up sides for ventilation and a door for access.

Why would anyone do this? Isn’t it way more work? Not really. Not much. And don’t you need another hobby anyways? Unless you plan on growing on a commercial scale you only need room for a few flats, about the space of a small table. With this, you can grow vegetables all year round on the West Coast by starting them inside and transplanting them out when they are past the fragile, seedling stage.

With inflation getting worse and driving food prices higher (and everything else!) and supply chain issues creating shortages, it makes sense to get started growing some of your food. Aside from peace of mind, you can’t beat home-grown vegetables for taste, as most of you know.

I have recently started lettuce, spinach, and kale, and will soon start onions, leeks, turnips, Chinese cabbage, radishes, and chard. They all get transplanted outside either to my greenhouse (which is unheated), or straight into prepared ground.

We still have lots of seeds available, with bulk sizes in many varieties, but they are selling fast. Free shipping is available for larger orders. Happy planting! Sweet Rock Farm Seeds Website

Sal Dominelli

Sweet Rock Farm