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This calendar derives straightforwardly from the "Timing" information on the various individual-vegetable pages of this site, which should be consulted for explanations of how the dates were estimated. Recall, please, what we said earlier: we are not "master gardeners" and this information is not the result of some vast personal experience--it is derived from extensive review of the literature and examination of local long-term weather tables. Caveat hortensia.
It is vital to understand that nature is not a factory, with timetables and a noon whistle: dates for doing things in a vegetable garden are, even for the greatest experts, at best guesstimates based on prior experience that may not be--often is not--applicable to this season.
The weather data used for typical temperatures and such is the fifty-year data from the State weather-data-collecting station in Ritzville, Washington (State), which is a cool U.S.D.A. Zone 6a, very near to the map line separating it from 5b.
As we say on the Introduction page of this site, it is important to avoid worshipping at the altar of "Zone", because a Zone number does not tell anyone much of anything about a place save the typical coldest winter temperature; places with the same Zone number can have seriously different climates. The Ritzville climate is, we think, pretty representative--as to temperatures, anyway, even if not necessarily rainfall--of a great many places in the United States. We imagine that the information on this site is useful, with only minor common-sense modification, to anyone living from Zone 4 to Zone 7, inclusive, and that sure takes in a lot of territory.
Notes:
This calendar does not yet (eventually--we hope--it will) show dates relating to herbs or to fruits or berries.
This calendar does not show a potato-planting date--you need to ascertain that from your selected seed-potato seedsman. Try to place your order the fall or early winter preceding, to be sure of getting the types you want.
We have assumed that lettuce and salad greens and radishes are being sown continually the year round, and show no dates for those.
Owing to sheer ignorance, we show no dates for rhubarb (but link excellent information sources on the rhubarb page).
This calendar does not show any harvest-date information; use your eyes and brain.
Finally and again: these dates are approximations, rounded off to two-week intervals. This calendar is a set of rough reminders, not an exact schedule--consult the various individual-vegetable pages for fuller planning information.
| Approximate Date: | Tasks(s) |
|---|---|
| January 1 | Be sure all your seed orders are placed or place them now
Get your seed-starting area cleaned up Purchase any needed seed-starting supplies (peat pots, etc.) |
| January 15 | Start artichoke seedlings
Start cardoon seedlings Start broccoli raab seedlings Start stratifying rooted-chervil seeds (do this as soon as you receive them) Start leek seedlings |
| February 1 | Start broccoli seedlings
Start cabbage seedlings Start cauliflower seedlings Start onion seedlings |
| February 15 | Harvest & re-plant sunchoke tubers (if physically possible) |
| March 1 | Transplant broccoli raab seedlings
Start pepper seedlings Direct-seed Swiss chard (experimental) Harvest & re-plant sunchoke tubers (if not yet done) Direct-seed maincrop spinach (experimental) |
| March 15 | Transplant artichoke seedlings
Transplant cardoon seedlings Transplant broccoli seedlings Transplant cabbage seedlings Transplant cauliflower seedlings Start hardening-off leek seedlings Direct-seed maincrop spinach (if earlier planting failed) |
| April 1 | Direct-seed fava beans
Start celeriac seedlings Start eggplant seedlings Transplant leek seedlings Direct-seed peas Direct-seed Swiss chard (if earlier seeding failed) Direct-seed sorrel (should be a one-time task) Direct-seed root chervil (assuming stratification complete) Start tomato seedlings Start hardening-off onion seedlings Switch lettuce & greens seeding from "cool" to "warm" types |
| April 15 | Direct-seed beets
Transplant onion seedlings Direct-seed summer carrots |
| May 1 | Direct-seed scallions ("Welsh onions")
Start summer-squash seedlings Start tomatillo seedlings Start melon seedlings |
| May 15 | Start cucumber seedlings
Lay down pepper-bed plastic mulch Start pumpkin seedlings Lay down pumpkin-patch plastic mulch Lay down summer-squash bed plastic mulch Lay down tomatillo-bed plastic mulch Lay down tomato-bed plastic mulch Start okra seedlings (May 23rd or so) (Think about hardening-off tomatoes in a week or so) |
| June 1 | Direct-seed non-lima beans (if soil T>60°)
Start hardening off eggplant seedling (wait till June 5th or so) Lay down cucumber-bed plastic mulch Transplant pepper seedlings (if soil T>65°) Transplant pumpkin seedlings (if soil T>70°) Transplant summer-squash seedlings (if soil T>70°) Transplant tomatillo seedlings Transplant tomato seedlings (if soil T>65°) Lay down melon-bed plastic mulch Start watermelon seedlings Lay down watermelon-patch plastic mulch |
| June 15 | Direct-seed lima beans (if soil T>65°)
Direct-seed corn (if soil T>70°) Transplant cucumber seedlings Transplant eggplant seedlings Lay down okra-bed plastic mulch Direct-seed parsnips Direct-seed scorzonera Plant sweet-potato slips Transplant melon seedlings (maybe June 20th) Transplant watermelon seedlings (maybe June 20th |
| July 1 | Direct-seed fall carrots (if summer crop out)
Start Brussels sprouts seedlings Transplant celeriac seedlings Direct-seed Florence fennel Transplant okra seedlings |
| July 15 | Direct-seed root parsley |
| August 1 | Direct-seed kohlrabi |
| August 15 | Transplant Brussels sprouts seedlings
Direct-seed fall peas (experimental) |
| September 1 | Nothing--so start your post-harvest cleaning-up |
| September 15 | Direct-seed kale |
| October 1 | Direct-seed fall spinach (experimental)
Switch lettuce & greens seeding from "warm" to "cool" types |
| October 15 | Top Brussels sprouts plants
Plant seed garlic? (evaluate seasonal weather) Plant seed shallots? (evaluate seasonal weather) |
| November 1 | Mulch asparagus beds for winter
Plant seed garlic (if not yet done) Plant seed shallots (if not yet done) |
| November 15 | Plan Thanksgiving dinner around your garden produce!
Direct-seed (optional) second growth of kale |
| December 1 | Clean up all garden detritus. |
| December 15 | Happy Holidays!
Review seed catalogues and get your orders in for next year's growing |
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