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New Jersey Gardening

When will you begin to sow seeds

19 years ago

in your vegetable garden for the spring season? Primarily, I am thinking in terms of fava beans(Broad Windsor) and Sugar Snap peas. The garden has been raked and ready for planting and more importantly---I AM READY!! But, one must remember that if the ground is too wet which it is here presently, and if the ground is too cold, the seeds will rot, so when is the proper time and temperature to get started? Any thoughts?

Vicki

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Comments (7)

mulchwoman
19 years ago
Hi
I will be planting my snow peas today (March 15). I planted them this exact day last year and they did really well. Peas like it cold. In a couple of weeks I will be putting out broccoli plants, then will wait until May for tomato plants and peppers, squash, etc.
Good Luck
birdgardner
19 years ago
Mulchwoman - when did your peas start to bear? I didn't plant mine until mid-April, and it was probably the end of June before I had peas.

Lisa
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Usually when you have a floaty thing, that part's chaff and the seeds stuck on the end of it. When you buy seeds the chaff is removed and seeds usually just look like seeds. When you harvest your own some seeds often have some natural transport device (like a shuttle cock) stuck on. That's one of the reasons commercial seeds can be expensive - it takes work to clean the seed to the level that people expect in commercial seed packets and they lose plenty of seeds in the process of cleaning. Here's a good example for you of seed and chaff in helenium autumnale seeds: No need to pluck off all of the fluff. You want to get the seeds clean enough that you don't have bugs hiding in the chaff, and you don't want to trade people a packet full of chaff that doesn't have any seeds in it. Usually a bit of shaking lets the seeds fall out of the flower remains and you can seperate them from the bulk of the other stuff. But for your sowing today, no reason not to just sprinkle the works in the jug - just like Mother Nature would do if she had jugs. :) Lynda
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Ellen, we are having a terribly early spring here but I did go ahead and set out about 6 containers of various peppers/chilis this very afternoon. Now I see it's gonna be in the 20s overnite so guess who has to go out in her nightie and fetch the containers in! Oh, well, with temps in the 60s & 70s during the day OUTSIDE - so I do not have to use a heat mat - or MY electricity = "priceless". So if you want to keep them warm inside at least @ night & have them outside in the daytime, I'd say go for it. Need seeds? I have a whole bunch of Orange Bell seeds, and some great jalapeno seeds, too. Let me know...
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I prep my containers now (I use those large 10 litre water jugs cut on their sides to allow more room to grow things in, and actually recycle about 75% of the previous years jugs that survived the cold without cracking too much) and fill with soil outside (where the mess still can be hosed down). Then I bring them down to the cellar to wait until the week after New Years, when I can concentrate on exactly what I want each jugs to contain, and then I plunk those jugs back outside until spring. One year I started too late and it took ages for the bags of soil to thaw indoors - I had left the bags of soil in a pile outside, and because of the rains & subsequent freezing, the job of even trying to separate the pile of bags from each other was an adventure I don't want to repeat. The bottom bag never did get used as it was frozen to the concrete. Best wishes.
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wardw
19 years ago
I grow mainly sugar snap peas, the 6 foot tall type. Most years they go in between the end of February and mid March. If your soil is too wet you could rake in a couple of inches of loose soil from your paths which will raise and warm your pea row. June is pea picking month in New Jersey, my sugar snap peas will often continue to produce into July if the weather stays moderate. There are super early varieties that might be ready in May, peas with a pick date from emergence of 60 days or less, but I haven't tried them. This would also be a good time to plant lettuce.
My German neighbor used to grow fava beans or broad beans. As I recall they are another 'beat the heat' plant and will germinate in cold soil, and I think they must be harvested before the dog days begin.
tylers_mom
19 years ago
I am thinking about starting my seeds in the house this year instead of buying plants. Tomatoes Peppers Zuccini, Eggplant and some herbs. Am I too late????
wardw
19 years ago
Go for it! A set of heating cables or a heating mat would help to get you off to a quick start, but even without them you should be OK. You'll have smaller plants, but don't be surprised if yours catch up with the rest ours by August.
fivenot2many
19 years ago
I just put my sweet pea seeds in their little starter trays and I bought a grow light on e bay to help them get enough light so they don't turn to leggy..also I started my Begonia tubers ...and freesias...one thing I had trouble finding was a grow light in the nurserys around here..I evenually took my search to E bay...let's see what I get when it arrives next week...alot of them were very pricey!!!
carlanne
18 years ago
Vickie, thank you for the tomato plants. I have lost your number. Please contact me at lakepaola@att.net. Anne.

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