Sow Seeds Now

(Page 3 of 3)

February/March 2006
Edited by Carol Mack 
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— Bill McDorman, Seeds Trust, High Altitude Gardens, Hailey, Idaho 

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PACIFIC NORTHWEST

Take advantage of breaks in the wet weather to weed and till. If you can get this soil prep work done now, you will be able to plant whenever you want. Postpone it too long, and wet weather or tall weeds can delay planting for weeks. If in the past your beets had corky spots and broccoli stems were hollow, your soil may lack boron, an essential mineral that is sometimes deficient in this area. Confirm with a soil test, and if needed, apply borax at the rate of 1 tablespoon (in 1 gallon of water) per 100 square feet. Boron is toxic in more than trace amounts, so be especially careful not to apply too much. Begin your year-round garden now by sowing hardy salad greens. Indoors, it’s time to start tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. You want to develop healthy, rugged plants, so provide them with light, air circulation, warm feet and a cool head for a good start in life.

— Rose Marie Nichols McGee, Nichols Garden Nursery, Albany, Ore., and Josh Kirschenbaum, Territorial Seed Co., Cottage Grove, Ore. 

SOUTHWEST

Lengthening days and the arrival of seeds in the mailbox give the promise of spring. In warmer areas, set out broccoli, cabbage, kale, lettuce seedlings, potatoes and — when danger of frost has passed — tomatoes, eggplants and peppers. Make successive sowings of carrots, lettuce, beets, green onions, peas, radishes, spinach and Swiss chard. Even in high mountain areas, there will be sunny days in February to clean the garden, prepare soil and plant cold-hardy seeds protected by cloches or fabric row covers. Watch for clusters of aphids on the growing tips of plants — these tiny, soft-bodied insects thrive in cold weather and can reproduce rapidly. Any dead or hollow aphid “mummies” among the living aphids are evidence of beneficial insects at work. Refrain from using broad-spectrum pesticides — even organic ones — to protect these “good bugs,” and try dislodging the aphids with a strong stream of water instead.

— Erica Renaud, Seeds of Change, Santa Fe, N.M. 

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