I don't know much about potatoes--I have only seen my very first potato emerge, from a piece of a grocery store-bought potato that mistakenly sprouted (it was also the only potato in the batch that didn't turn green the day after I bought them!). In zone 5, now is the time to start putting in a fall garden. You can already sow and plant some vegetables, but most of it is going to be put in during July and part of August. You're basically looking to sow/plant cool weather crops. Carrots - Choose a smaller variety that grows faster so they have time to mature well before frost. The nice thing about carrots is they don't take up much space so you can sow lots, and like most root vegetables, you can harvest at any stage, so in case they don't mature, you will still have a smaller crop that will be even more tender than mature carrots (you can even pull a tiny one with a five-inch top growth and garnish a salad with it, leaves and all - a thing of beauty!). Make sure, though, that you put it in very fine earth, and that they get regular water. Carrots mature here about three months after sowing, weather permitting. Yours, if you sow them now, would be sizing up around end of september. I suggest you stagger three crops by ten days each. Come end of season, you'll have a variety of sizes to use in a variety of dishes. Don't be afraid to sow a variety of carrots (doesn't anybody sell mixed carrot seed?) - orange is so out! :) Radish - Wait a month before sowing, though. Right now, radishes are kinda hot (mine are, anyways, and it will only get hotter). Rule of thumb: the warmer the weather, the hotter your radish. If you sow end of July and keep sowing weekly right up until the beginning of October, you'll get increasingly juicy, crunchy, smooth radish. As with carrots, you can harvest these at any stage as well--just don't count on them to be meaty. It is best to wait until you can see the stem thickening. Try White Icicle. It is a heritage radish that has a mild taste, doesn't get woody and it is thin and long like a carrot (six inches long - grow lots is a small space!) so it is great for slicing. What's not to like? It is ready in about five weeks. Lettuce - Once again, it is best if you wait for cooler weather. However, I still successfully grow fairly good lettuce. It doesn't beat spring lettuce, but it is decent and gets even better by fall. Don't put them in bright sun for long. Snap beans - This is not a cool weather crop, but it is fast enough for a good harvest. Better to grow bush beans now than runner beans. Runners will take a bit too much time and you may lose your harvest. Mine are not fussy about the weather and they don't seem to mind dry spells. I guess you could still sow beans for drying, but you would have to do it NOW and you would still be taking a chance. Spinach - Wait until end of July, up to mid-August even. They seem to prefer light shade in Montreal, so save a spot for them accordingly (maybe behind the bush beans?). Too much shade, though, is no good. Being a leafy vegetable, it is very easy to grow. Just keep the soil evenly moist and pick any occasional bug off the leaves. Also, if you go by a garden center, get chives. Perennial, good on practically anything, needs no care other than small regular harvests, never gets sick and reportedly even protects certain other vegetables from predators. To me, a garden without chives is not a garden.

You will be tempting mother nature. In that area I would set transplants in August. If you really want those this year you might consider running dow to your local store and picking up plants. On the other hand it is time to direct seed turnips, radishes, mustards and other similar brassicas.

I planted in the fall - perhaps too early, in Sept - and the leaves never died back. Our winter was exceptionally warm. These look amazing and the stem is FAT. I planted after 2 weeks of chilling the bulbs in the fridge. Then I acquired more bulbs...in the winter...these were also chilled for 2 weeks. A few varieties were planted in the ground in December. A few more were planted in the ground in January. Eight varieties were planted in containers, and started indoors, in February. The container varieties are nearly as big as the fall planted ones, at the stem just above the soil. The container varieties have been outside for a month now. I am newer to this and read a fantastic book. What I read is that if the cloves are not subjected to cool weather, once planted, the clove division and wrapper formation gets messed up, later in the season. Well shall see!

Since the seed are from ET, I assume they are fresh seed, as it is near the end of summer down under. Some of the seed may require only a few weeks of chill temperature and then warmth to trigger germination. If your soil temperature is still below 40°F, you could plunge the pots in the ground (assuming it isn't still frozen!), out of the sun and cover with clear glass or plastic, to prevent disturbance by rodents and heavy rains. Moisture from the soil should wick into the pots, to keep the seed starting mix moist, but to be sure, check them frequently to insure that it never becomes dry. Not all of the seed will germinate simultaneously, some will probably not germinate until next spring or even later. Remove the ones that have, when they develop true leaves and pot them individually. Handle the seedlings only by the leaves, to avoid bruising the stems and roots, which can often cause the plant to fail. Good growing! Hope you will have some nice colors.