Getting An Early Start If You Want Those Luscious Fresh Vegetables From Your Garden This Summer, Start Planting Now

Daydream with me for just a minute. It’s a Sunday evening in mid-August. A hot summer day is turning into a spectacular summer evening. The lawn is freshly cut, the flowers are in full bloom, the sun is setting (OK, I know the sun sets around nine, but just for the story’s sake, let’s say it’s around six), and all that’s needed to top off this great evening is a mouth-watering dinner featuring all the fresh vegetables growing in your garden. BUT WAIT! You remember now that back in March you decided you just didn’t have time to plant a garden.

Our dream ends with a trip to the local supermarket for a selection of humdrum, blah-tasting, over-picked, underripe vegetables.

I realize in the cold (and snowy) month of March it’s difficult to picture harvesting a nice bunch of broccoli, but now is the time to start those seedlings and plan that garden.

Begin by selecting seeds with maturing dates for your area. Add an extra 10 days to compensate for our cool springs and falls. If the seed packet indicates maturity in 90 days, plan on 100 days. The growing season for the Spokane area ranges from 90 to 120 days.

Seeds that require pre-starting also require a few growing materials - pots, soil, clear pot covers, bottom heat and light.

Pots can be anything - egg cartons, plastic salad trays, yogurt cups, plastic seed trays, fiber pots, peat pots - anything that can hold at least two inches of soil and allow water to drain. They must be clean and sterile. Wash old containers with soapy water and rinse them in a solution of bleach (one part bleach to 9 parts water).

Soil should be a soilless seed-starting mix which can be purchased at most garden centers. It is free of all disease pathogens and insects. You can make your own by cooking a concoction of garden soil, peat and vermiculite in the oven at 140 degrees for 30 minutes. The odor is quite unpleasant, to say the least.

Next, we need a clear plastic cover collect evaporating moisture and drop it back onto the germinating seeds. It also helps retain heat around the seeds. Dome lids can be purchased for covering seed flats. Clear dry cleaning bags also work great. Leave them open a bit on the ends for good air circulation.

Most seeds require warm soil (70 degrees) to germinate. Setting the containers on something warm usually does the trick. This is referred to as bottom heat. There are heating cables manufactured just for this purpose. Use your ingenuity, but always be safe. Watch the heat; we don’t want to fry the soil.

Last, we need light. Some seeds require light to germinate, while others germinate best in the dark. However, once the seeds have germinated, they all require light and lots of it. If you don’t have a greenhouse or a bright sunny window sill, don’t give up. A shop light with a couple of fluorescent tubes suspended about 4 inches above the plants will work great.

Now that we have all our materials, let’s start our plants - broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, eggplant, head lettuce, melons, peppers and tomatoes. The other crops can be seeded directly into the garden.

Plants that have been started indoors must be hardened off to the outside before they can be planted into the ground. This is true, whether they are a cold season or warm season crop. This process of acclimation takes about 10 days. Begin by setting them in the shade for a few hours, then a bit of sun for a few more hours, a little wind, a little cold at night until finally they can be left out all day and night.

The following is a list of early crops that can be planted into the ground either by transplants or direct seeding.

Beets - direct seeding - mid-April to mid-May: Cover the rough seed with one inch of soil. For the best quality, beets should eventually be spaced three to four inches apart. Always keep them evenly moist to promote fast growth and to avoid woodiness. For a little fun, you might try golden beets (they don’t bleed red) and Ghioggia striped beets (red and white pinwheel).

Broccoli - transplants - mid-April to mid-May: Broccoli likes a rich soil of organic matter. Space the plants about 12 inches apart and fertilize them about every two weeks with a high-nitrogen fertilizer. Keep them well-watered for fast, steady growth. Insects, such as caterpillars and aphids can be controlled by using a garden row cover such as Reemay or control caterpillars with BT (Bacillus thuringiensis).

Cabbage - transplant - mid-April to mid-May: This crop has basically the same requirements as broccoli, except that cabbage does benefit from a bit more fertilizer. Keep it well-watered throughout the growing season. Protect against pests with a row cover or BT.

Carrots - direct seeding - mid-May: Carrots grow best in a fine soil, free of clods and manure. A sandy soil is great. Carrot seed may take forever to germinate. I like to cover my seed with potting soil or grass clippings. The main thing is to keep the soil moist while the seed is trying to germinate. Thin carrots regularly until they are about two inches apart. The best flavor develops in carrots that mature in the fall.

Cauliflower - transplant - mid-April to mid-May: Same culture as broccoli.

Kohlrabi - direct seeding - mid-April to mid-May: Kohlrabi forms a bulb at ground level. There are no special requirements. Plant it and forget about it until harvest.

Leeks - transplants - mid-May: Leeks like rich, organic soil and plenty of water. Never let them dry out. Plant the seedlings deep to encourage long stalks. Once established, these mild-flavored “onions” require little if any care. They can be harvested at any time during their growth.

Lettuce - direct seed or transplant - May: Most lettuce varieties (bibb, romaine, looseleaf and head, to name a few) thrive in cool temperatures. Keep them evenly moist. If they are allowed to dry out, they can become quite bitter.

Onions and shallots - direct seeding, bulbs or transplants - early April: The size of the onion is directly related to the amount of green leaves produced in the early spring. As the days get longer, green growth stops and the onion develops. If the leaves aren’t healthy and abundant, the onion will probably be small. Plant onions early to insure large bulbs. Protect against root maggots with a row cover.

Peas - direct seeding - May: The old-fashioned garden pea could be planted in April, but the newer sugar snap varieties require a much warmer soil for good germination. Forget about sowing peas every two inches. For best results, sow them thick - to a point where they touch each other. Peas like sweet soil - a light incorporation of wood ashes is very beneficial.

Potatoes - direct seed - first of April or after the waning moon: Since there are more than 120 diseases that can strike potatoes, always use new, certified seed. Cut the potato into pieces with 2-3 eyes per piece. Allow the cut to seal over (overnight). Prior to planting, dust them with a bit of sulfur. This may help to prevent scab, a prevalent disease in this area. Plant them in soil low in organic matter or manure. If scab has been a problem, plant them in a soilless mix or rotted hay.

Radishes - direct seeding - April and May: Radishes hate hot, dry weather. Get them in the ground as soon as you can work the soil. Over-fertilizing can lead to all leaves and no radishes. If the insecticide diazinon hasn’t helped in controlling root maggot, try using the row cover.

Spinach - direct seeding - mid-April to mid-May: Spinach can be planted in the fall for spring harvest. Firm the soil over the seed and keep it well-watered and fertilized. Cover with a row cover to prevent the leaf-minor from attacking the tender leaves.

Turnips - direct seeding - April and May: Turnips do not like hot temperatures. Plant and harvest this crisp tasting vegetable early - this includes its greens.

If we start now, our summer feast of vegetables won’t be out of a shopping cart, but rather from our bushel basket.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by Charles Waltmire

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Gardening help Gardeners can go online to The Spokesman-Review’s Web site and find a wealth of information in “The Gardener’s Guide” on Virtually Northwest (www.VirtuallyNW.com). There are guides to local garden clubs, garden centers and mail-order businesses, an events calendar, gardner-to-gardner tips, regional planting guides and much more.