One question that is frequently asked by new gardeners is when is the best time to plant vegetable garden. This is an excellent question, but the answer is that it depends upon the climate in your area. A vegetable garden is a smart decision, but must be carefully planned. For example, there is no easy answer as to when to start your planting – each plant and climate is different.

Bear mind mind, however, that even the finest gardeners can lose some plants because of unexpected frosts and early winters which they also had not expected. Gardening can very much be a process of experimentation, but if it is done the right way, it’s very much worth the effort.

Planting manuals for vegetables will tell you that when you are growing spring vegetables it is necessary to set seed in the latter part of the winter. Summer vegetables need to be started in the first part of spring (following the final frost) and fall vegetables need to be planted in the middle to latter part of the summer.

Spring vegetables are best to be planted during temperatures that are around the 50 degree mark. Summer vegetables are safe in the 60 – 70 degree range. There are specific vegetables that are identified as warm season and cool season vegetables. Frequently these descriptions can be perplexing to people. It is crucial to note that these descriptions don’t particularly pertain to the season of the year, but the weather that the vegetables can flourish in.

Vegetables like onions, peas, salad greens, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower, have the ability to flourish in low winter temperatures, even though it is not advised. For many people, starting out a vegetable garden with early spring vegetables can be a better choice.

Vegetables such as eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, melons, and squash, will die quickly if you try to grow them in temperatures that are below 50. The only way you can keep these plants alive outdoors is to protect them with a plant protection device like a cloche or grow them in a hothouse.

For maximum growth you want to grow all of your warm season vegetables after your last frost. You can easily learn the dates of when the first and last frost will occur in your area. Most seed packets contain instructions for various planting zones.This will help you to determine when these vegetables will be safe and when they should be finished growing.

Tags: best time to plant, gardening, home, vegtable gardening

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This entry was posted on Sunday, December 7th, 2008 at 10:21 am and is filed under container gardening, gardening. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.