We’re finally getting to the time of year when we can plant some things into the ground. Some things can go in early, other things need to wait for warmer days.  How do we know what to plant when?  Most soil is still too wet to dig or till unless you have raised beds. This week let’s look at several ways to help determine when it’s best to plant seeds or put out transplants.

Frost Free Dates.  Most plants can’t take a frost (happens when the air is still) or freeze (happens when there is a breeze) so they need to go in after danger has passed.  That is tricky since we can’t be sure what the weather might bring but we do know the average dates based on years of historical records.  At higher elevations like Mount Holly that date is about May 30 and at lower elevations of Wallingford, Shrewsbury, or Ludlow that is about May 24.  These are averages and best guesses, not absolute rules!  Remember that unless you are a competitive gardener it’s not important that your plants go in on the earliest dates anyway.  If you would like recommendations for specific plants then you can use one of several online guides or printed tables for our area.

Johnny’s Seeds has a calculator that uses your zip code/hardiness zone and to tell you when to start seeds indoors and the earliest dates to transplant outside by plant. They also have a great calculator for repeated or succession plantings so you can plan for harvests throughout the growing season.  Enjoy salad greens, beans, etc. all summer long instead of getting overwhelmed in July and then having none.  Yes, we can grow salad greens all summer long! 

The Old Farmers’ Almanac has a similar table plus they include planting by the moon information.  An added feature of the Almanac is that clicking on the name of the plant opens a growing guide for that specific plant.  Very convenient. 

Finally, the University of Vermont Extension/Master Gardeners program has a excellent website that includes planting schedules based on agricultural zones plus details about spacing, depth, number of seeds.  This website is very extensive and has many links to good resources for all kinds of gardening information.  This should be your basic Go To place for reliable information.  Note that depending on your exact location, we are in either zone 4 (higher) or 5 (lower elevation).

An old fashioned “natural” way to determine local planting dates is based on observing nature’s signals yourself.  (“You can see a lot by observing”, Yogi Berra)  I first encountered this practice among the Mayan farmers in Central America where they use natural events as signals to determine when to clear land, when to burn, when to plant, and when to expect pests.  We can do something similar by using our own local natural events for an indication of when to plant.  Scientists refer to these chronological events as Phenology.  Here is a list of suggestions that you can use in your garden:

• Earliest times to plant…                           Is when…
• Peas & onion sets                                    forsythia or daffodils begin blossoming
• Lettuce, beets, carrots, spinach                first lilac leaves, dandelions in bloom
• Transplant broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage    dandelions in bloom
• Potatoes                                                  dandelions in full bloom
• Beans, cukes, squash                                lilacs in peak bloom
• Tomatoes                                                  lily of the valley blooming or apple blossoms falling
• Corn                                                          oak leaves are dime size (young)
• Peppers, melons, eggplants                      irises in full bloom

Using these planning tools can take the guesswork out of planting and make gardening more productive and enjoyable.  I tend to be conservative and plant a little later than the earliest dates.  Delayed planting of squash and cucumbers, for example, can avoid the main hatching of cucumber beetles and thereby reduces pest damage. 

Don’t forget to keep building your soil with homemade compost.