Calling all Zone 4...what's safe to sow NOW?

17 years ago

I keep reading that everyone is doing their annuals, but maybe they are all south of me? I got started very late, am just doing my perennials now but was going to do annuals right away...is it too cold here in WI? I guess I'm confused because I was reading old posts from back in Dec/Jan and was focussing on people in zones 4 and 5...obviously these people would have freezing temps at sometime between Jan and now...but I read that people were doing tomatoes, coleus, amaranth, etc, so I figured that I could do them now, for sure. Hope someone can set me straight! Thanks!

Here are some of the things that I want to do:

tomatoes

coleus

poppies

cucumbers

peppers

herbs (basil, cilantro, etc)

larkspur

lavatera

zinnias

asters

amaranth

datura

clarkia

celosia spicata

petunias

impatiens

allysum

bells of ireland

morning glory

portulaca

snapdragon

phlox (pkt says it's annual)

salvia (strata and royal blaze rose)

perennials:

rudbeckia (including some that aren't hardy in my zone, like Indian Summer, toto, Prairie Sun)

aster

aquilegia

campanula

dianthus

delphinium (am I too late?)

lady's mantle

joe pye weed

maltese cross

pansy

milkweed

poppies

verbascum (not hardy in my area)

Thank you so much! I'm so excited to finally have my hands in the dirt!

Mary

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Comments (3)

mmqchdygg
17 years ago
of your list, these are what I've sown already...

poppies
larkspur
lavatera
asters
amaranth
petunias
snapdragon
phlox (pkt says it's annual)
rudbeckia (including some that aren't hardy in my zone, like Indian Summer, toto, Prairie Sun)
aster
aquilegia
campanula
dianthus
delphinium (am I too late?)
joe pye weed
maltese cross
pansy
milkweed
poppies
verbascum (not hardy in my area)

and what I'm doing now:
petunias
allysum
snapdragon
rudbeckia (including some that aren't hardy in my zone, like Indian Summer, toto, Prairie Sun) - another round

and what I'm waiting a couple weeks on
tomatoes
coleus
cucumbers
peppers- the veggies only because I just simply haven't DONE them yet, and toms because I want to wait a little longer
zinnias
amaranth
datura
clarkia
celosia spicata
impatiens
morning glory
salvia (strata and royal blaze rose)
verbascum (not hardy in my area)

I'm a zone higher than you.

I can only hope I'm doing this right; I'm waiting a little longer on some (based on what I did last year), and getting some others in earlier based on what others are doing in my zone here this year.
Mary4b
Original Author
17 years ago
That's very helpful, Thank YOU!
I did tomatoes last night, wouldn't you know and put them out this morning...do you think I should bring them in? We're having quite a cold snap...I could certainly let them sit inside for a bit, couldn't I? Or in the garage? It's just that I read that some people seem to do the tomatoes in the middle of the winter like everything else, so I figured that they could take it, but now I'm worried.
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deanriowa
16 years ago
mary4b,

How did it go planting your tomatoes in the beginning of april?

How are they looking now?

Dean

Calling all Zone 4...what's safe to sow NOW?

Comments (3)

mmqchdygg

Mary4b
Original Author

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Calling all Zone 4...what's safe to sow NOW?

Comments (3)

mmqchdygg

Mary4bOriginal Author

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Mary4b
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