Okay, Garden People

[dramaphile]

So we're finally getting around to putting some seeds/seedlings in our raised beds this week.  We are in Southeastern PA, finally past frost, hopefully.  What is better planted as seedlings/plants vs seeds?  I am totally new at this and my forays into growing potted plants have been less than successful.  I'm thinking I want to do pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, hot peppers of some kind, maybe broccoli or cauliflower, onions, some kind of greens like kale, maybe eggplant.  Oh, and I have a ton of pumpkin seeds of various types. Ideally whatever grows well and doesn't require a ton of fussy maintenance.  I have two 4x8 raised beds and I'm going to get compost for them today.

Help me, oh garden gurus...

[brandiewine11]

What you should start from seed vs. seedling depends on how long each item takes to reach maturity and how long your growing season is.

Here is a chart that references when seeds should be started indoors vs. outdoors. If the "start outdoors" date is already passed (or it says start indoors), you should use seedlings to ensure your plants reach maturity before your growing season is over.

Several of the items you listed are slow growers (onions, broccoli, etc) or mature in summer rather than fall (tomatoes) so you'll want to do seedlings for those for the best results.

We are in NH and do not have a greenhouse, so we start a lot from seedlings. We used to start everything from seeds indoors but just don't have the space for that anymore.

If you get seedlings, make sure you go to a local garden center type place rather than home depot or wherever. You'll have a better selection and better results.

www.ufseeds.com/Pennsylvania-Vegetable-Planting-Calendar.html
www.almanac.com/content/vegetable-garden-planner

[sarenu]

Any tips on growing basil, parsley, and chives?

I want to know how to grow, trim, store, freeze, and dry this stuff.

[brandiewine11]

Apr 18, 2017 8:48:27 GMT -5 sarenu said:

Any tips on growing basil, parsley, and chives?

I want to know how to grow, trim, store, freeze, and dry this stuff.

Herbs are easy. I like to grow them in deck boxes so there are fewer weeds and I can keep them going longer even when it gets cold. 

Chives are a perennial so put them somewhere that you don't mind them coming back year after year. They will spread if you don't trim the flowers off before they go to seed and can take over.

I usually just make and freeze a ton of pesto with leftover basil. I haven't bothered drying herbs so no advice on that.

[Stringy]

What else are perennials...I know asparagus...

I'll just use this thread to state that math is hard and apparently I can't do it. Gardening related math, that is.

I cleared the spaces for my gardens yesterday (took existing shrubs out) and started to cut wood for boxes. But didn't have enough. I suck at life.

Have basil and tomatoes popping up inside and some others that haven't sprouted yet (peas, beans, lavender)...and have carrots and zucchini to start outside when its ready.

dramaphile, it often says on the seed packets if it must be indoors or directly in garden...

[dramaphile]

Apr 18, 2017 8:48:27 GMT -5 sarenu said:

Any tips on growing basil, parsley, and chives?

I want to know how to grow, trim, store, freeze, and dry this stuff.

Hey, I actually know something!  The one plant I've managed to keep alive is basil.   When you cut basil, cut the stem right above where there are a set of leaves growing out, so it can continue to produce more leaves.  if you look at where the two leaves come out of the stem, you should see little leaves starting to grow.  Cutting right above them causes the little leaves to grow.    

[brandiewine11]

Apr 18, 2017 9:31:46 GMT -5 Stringy said:

What else are perennials...I know asparagus...

I'll just use this thread to state that math is hard and apparently I can't do it. Gardening related math, that is.

I cleared the spaces for my gardens yesterday (took existing shrubs out) and started to cut wood for boxes. But didn't have enough. I suck at life.

Have basil and tomatoes popping up inside and some others that haven't sprouted yet (peas, beans, lavender)...and have carrots and zucchini to start outside when its ready.

dramaphile , it often says on the seed packets if it must be indoors or directly in garden...

Green onions, asparagus, berries, rhubarb. There are others but they are harder in our climate. 

[Stringy]

Apr 18, 2017 10:17:57 GMT -5 brandiewine11 said:

Apr 18, 2017 9:31:46 GMT -5 Stringy said:

What else are perennials...I know asparagus...

I'll just use this thread to state that math is hard and apparently I can't do it. Gardening related math, that is.

I cleared the spaces for my gardens yesterday (took existing shrubs out) and started to cut wood for boxes. But didn't have enough. I suck at life.

Have basil and tomatoes popping up inside and some others that haven't sprouted yet (peas, beans, lavender)...and have carrots and zucchini to start outside when its ready.

dramaphile , it often says on the seed packets if it must be indoors or directly in garden...

Green onions, asparagus, berries, rhubarb. There are others but they are harder in our climate. 

I feel like berries will just be eaten by wildlife...I wish it would work.

[brandiewine11]

Apr 18, 2017 10:28:53 GMT -5 Stringy said:

Apr 18, 2017 10:17:57 GMT -5 brandiewine11 said:

Green onions, asparagus, berries, rhubarb. There are others but they are harder in our climate. 

I feel like berries will just be eaten by wildlife...I wish it would work.

We have strawberries and raspberries. We've had the occasional bunny snack on the strawberries and birds sometimes in the raspberries, but honestly it's not been a big deal at all. If they were farther back in the yard, maybe it would be worse, like the deer eating our apples, but we have enough to share occasionally. We still get plenty.

[ovenrack]

Rhubarb! My rhubard and asparagus are both up. So exciting!

I put carrot and onion seeds in at work today. Beets and sunflowers would have gone in, but I ran out of time.

Tomato, cucumber, squash, and melon seedlings will go in in a couple weeks once there's no fear of frost.

[TJ]

I feel like I live in a different world. We've had spinach and onions for a few months. Tomatoes and strawberries for the last month or so. And just planted all of our beautiful flowers.

[piccyami]

I'm with TJ. We've been frost-free for quite a while now. I only just got seeds in the ground this weekend because little babies and so much rain. I'm planning on getting our seedlings soon.

[ovenrack]

Apr 18, 2017 21:16:19 GMT -5 TJ said:

I feel like I live in a different world. We've had spinach and onions for a few months. Tomatoes and strawberries for the last month or so. And just planted all of our beautiful flowers.

[dramaphile]

Finally got compost yesterday and mixed it into the beds and planted a few rows of onion starters. Going to pick out more seeds and plants this weekend! As of right now, I'm thinking heirloom tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, poblanos, basil, zucchini, maybe green beans?.

Also, discovered there are daffodils in my backyard, yay! I love when random plants pop up out of nowhere. Keeping an eye on where the cherry tomatoes popped up last year, hopefully they will come back and I can get cages on them in time.