Paula I am adept by now in pulling out few seedlings that germinated and planting them out while leaving rest alone to grow. With lupins they have long tap root. My action is- very gently with barbecue stick I disturb soil around seedlings slowly pulling them up only when I do not feel any resistance. If one has light approach it is not harmful to the plant. I also usually have all my seeds on top of the media so I can see what germinated and what now. I would say all hardy seedlings can go out now if they big enough for you handle. My area zip code is listed as above freezing temps for next 10 days, looks like most nights are in 40- good enough for me. I won't chance coleus until after mid May but begonias and torenias will go after May 1.

yep same here with the cilantro! i got...maybe two small tufts of cilantro for all the seeds i planted....and now its spindly and flowers. a few weeks ago i just started some more and they sprouted fast. i think they will grow better with the later planting. its a little cooler here than there...but snow peas are defintely something i am planting now. this is a good time for them, but i can plant them whenever and they do good, or ok, any time of year. re: mulch - i have no idea if this will work better, but i am thinking it will. i think i let the sprouted carrots dry out, or??? idk exactly, but i have hard time with carrots, they are fussy. in general mulch is like magic and makes happy happy plants. =)thick mulch...freshy mulch, yeah plants really respond to this well. it also keeps it from drying out, holds in moisture, thats basically why i am thinking the carrots will like it. just to sprinkle the seeds on top. and totally with the staggered plantings, its for sure the way in this kind of climate. have keep it in mind to resist the temptation to start too many seeds of any one thing. i have a limited amount of space that is greenhouse like...so its always packed with plants.i move things around, outside and inside, and do some container gardening with that. this is the best way to get good peppers here and tomatoes.... i have a lot of potatoes in the ground, but i started some off in a big container and they are doing great. i might start off a couple of those....with different edibles. they are just plastic tub storage containers with holes drilled in the bottom. been throwing the potato bits in there as i use them, and the ones in the container are looking better than the ones in the ground. they are digging on the fluffy soil. and some of the stuff i plant would seem way out of season...i experiment a lot. and planting odd things at different times of year, some of it works and some of it doesnt. i dont always get as many sprouts but usually will get a few of each planting time (about once a month i start different seeds)...and then have some plants in different stages come spring. and i over winter whatever i can inside...get peppers ripening at variety of times.

Hi! You'll definitely want to check out www.territorialseed.com an OR company - they have a great print winter catalog with growing hints. Their web site has a special winter gardening section. Per their grow chart, you can still direct seed Arugula, spring cabbage, carrots, corn salad, spring peas/favas, lettuce, mustard greens, and radishes. And of course garlic! Having said that, the last couple of years I've been experimenting with fall/winter gardens. Arugula does great. Have not had luck with the overwintering crops planted in July/August like cabbage and broccoli - they get all chewed up by slugs. Fava beans and peas croaked from the cold. I am sure I am colder than you, though. So, other successes planted this late are: lettuces/greens. Some of these will grow slowly all winter under plastic cover, and burst into growth in early Feb. Some, like Arugula, Cracoviensis lettuce, Siberian Kale, will grow enough, if you plant enough, to harvest enough leaves for salad - or at least additives to store-bought. Beets, carrots planted earlier do great left in the ground fall/winter. Minus is going into the garden in the dark after work when it is raining to harvest root crops out of the mud LOL! I continue to experiment. This year I am seeing if I can get snow peas to bear under plastic this fall.

I'm itching to plant, but I'm not doing any fall planting in my tiny patch, since I have to have the fence and gate replaced this fall and the workers need somewhere to stand while doing it - mostly that area has annuals right now, plus a few ferns I need to move & a bunch of Liriope that's going to a new home. But I have planted a native violet that I poached, er, "wildcrafted" from a nearby natural area, in the hopes of eventually getting a lot of violets, and maybe some fritillaries. Definitely planned for Spring: Zizia aurea Agastache Aristolochia Honeyvine milkweed and maybe Cleome (I would flip out if I could get some Baltimore Checkerspots!), and some other native nectar plants - Asters, goldenrods etc. Not much sunny area to work with, unfortunately.