PNW February 2012

**Furbalsmom** 2/2/2012, 2:00 am

FEBRUARY 2012 IN THE PNW

Plant windowsill container gardens of carrots, lettuce, or parsley.
Good time to plant fruit trees
Plant asparagus if the ground is warm enough.
Asparagus varieties for Oregon
Mary Washington, Jersey Knight, Jersey Giant, UC 157, Purple Passion
Plant seed flats of cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower, broccol), indoors or in greenhouse.
Western Oregon: Where soil is dry enough and workable, plant garden peas and sweet peas. Suggested varieties of garden peas include: Corvallis, Dark Green Perfection, Green Arrow, Oregon Sugar Pod, Snappy, Knight, Sugar Snap, Oregon Trail, and Oregon Sugar Pod II.
(I noticed this listing is a bit different from the 2011 list of recommended varieties, so I have included them here too)
(shelling) Novella II, Oregon Trail, Oregon Pioneer, Green Arrow, Maxigolt.
(oriental edible pod) Oregon Sugar Pod II, Oregon Giant.
(snap pea, bush) Sugar Daddy, Super Snappy, Cascadia, Sugar Sprint, Sugar Ann.
(snap pea, pole) Sugar Snap or Super Sugar Snap (virus susceptible; plant early).

FEBRUARY PLANTING IN THE PNW

VEGETABLES	Sow Indoors	Sow Outdoors	Transplant
Artichoke, globe	XXX
Asparagus	XXX		XXX
Broccoli	XXX
Cabbage	XXX
Cauliflower	XXX
Celery	XXX
Chard	XXX
Endive	XXX
Fava bean		XXX
Fennel, bulb	XXX
Kale	XXX
Kohlrabi	XXX
Leek	XXX
Lettuce	XXX
Mache		XXX
Onions, bulb	XXX
Peas (snow, shell, snap)		XXX
Rhubarb			XXX
Radicchio	XXX
Scallion (green onion)	XXX		XXX
Shallot (seed)	XXX
Spinach	XXX

I have been able to locate planting varieties and planting dates for Oregon, but have not been able to locate similar information for Washington State. If someone else finds this information, I really would appreciate your posting the links.

happycamper 2/2/2012, 3:36 am

For the first day of February I planted 6 squares of Alaska Peas. My new chicken pen was finished yesterday (I am glad I have a 19 year old!) so I have started uncovering the beds and tacking the grids back onto a few of them. I have to admit that I was surprised that two of the beds are very, very dry. I will plant the Oregon Sugar Pod II's in the next week or so.
It looks like I have to get started on the scallions, lettuce and spinach soon.
I have purchased a few new seed types that I have never grown before that are on your list also, leek, endive, celery and kohlrabi. (The kohlrabi seed I purchased last year and never planted so now I have white and purple to try.)
FM, I only located one entry on WSU Extension for February regarding planting peas around the 22nd.

Lavender Debs 2/2/2012, 9:09 am

FBmom you are awesome!! Thank-you for this enthusiastic list. It scratches an itch and gives me hope on this Ground Hog's Day when there is a better chance that he will see his shadow than not.

I don't know of a Washington list, just old journals and old friends and family who garden.

Peas: Lincoln's birthday is pea planting day. (16 to a square) Honestly, that is a very early day to start them but they seem to survive year after year.....except for last year....almost total pea failure last year. Golden Sweet was the exception. I will plant more of those and a new snow pea I got from Italian Seed Company. Shelly peas: Maestro, an old friend. I have Sugar Daddy for snap peas. (I’ll find room for more squares of peas in March)

Fava Beans: I have 3 squares that I started last November (I think it was November) but I'll start more squares (4 to a square) when I plant peas.

Broccoli and Cauliflower: (in a tray or soil blocks to plant out in April) Before February rolls into March I will start a tray of Broccoli and Cauliflower. I like Nutri-bud (OP) for an early broccoli and my new favorite late broccoli is Thompson's (OP). There is a mixed package of white, green and purple cauliflower AND an new package of gold cauliflower, not cheddar but Sunset (or something like that) from TSC. I’m OK at growing cauliflower but not so good about harvesting them. They seem to go from almost ready to ugly and blowing up on me before they get to my table.

The odd radish (16 to a square) or baby bok-choi (5 to a square) might get a square, same with scallions (just sprinkle them in thickly) and mustards (9 to a square), but most of the garden will be waiting for March. I have a tray of greens (lettuces, spinaches and mustards) that I started in January; I’ll keep fussing about those.

**Furbalsmom** 2/2/2012, 12:31 pm

HappyCamper, if you can locate and post that link about planting peas in Washington, perhaps I can do a little more searching and find other planting dates.

Alaska peas and a chicken pen are major accomplishments.

I have started uncovering the beds and tacking the grids back onto a few of them. I have to admit that I was surprised that two of the beds are very, very dry.

I guess if they were covered they did not get saturated with the deluge we had in January. PNW February 2012 3040868389

At my little section of the Coast, we had 12 inches of rain in January. and 11 inches fell between 1/15 and 1/31.

Lavender Debs, I keep wanting to try those fava beans, but they are such a long term crop and with just three 4X4s I have trouble growing all of the varieties my DH wants, so can't find room for them.

Last year was very successful for Sugar Snaps, but this year I want to add some snow peas. I love those edible pod peas as I feel I get so much more harvest for the space.

Broccoli and Cauliflower were pretty good last year. Using that tulle netting over the bed kept those nasty cabbage worms away. I will use it again for plants that do not need pollinating.

Must start my cole crops and herbs soon. Going to try some onion seeds indoors for spring onions/scallions this year.

Too many things I want to grow (greedy, greedy woman) and not enough room.

**gwennifer** 2/2/2012, 12:46 pm

I really appreciate you all sharing what you've been up to with your gardening. I'm a little astonished and would never have guessed things could be planted outdoors this early.

Just last Friday, I finally got around to pulling the last three broccoli plants I hadn't gotten out before the weather turned sour last fall. Even though I'd had gloves on, my hands were so frozen and numb I was in pain. I also had been upset that I seemed to be finding chunks of what I thought was dried out peat. It turned out to actually be chunks of frozen Mel's Mix!

So... I thought it was too cold to plant. Do things change that quickly? I'd say it's been about ten degrees warmer overall this week over last. That's enough?

**Furbalsmom** 2/2/2012, 1:15 pm

Gwennifer, remember most of those listed crops are started inside.

Just about every place you look, whether it is your local extension service or the directions on a packet of seeds, there are several things that can be started outside "as soon as the soil can be worked". Usually peas and winter types, like Mache.

Otherwise, everything else on the list is for starting indoors.

I certainly would not plant anything outdoors yet if you still have chunks of frozen Mel's Mix in your beds.

Sometimes it only takes a couple more weeks until the MM (soil) is able to be worked. You will notice Lavender Debs does not plant her peas until Feb 12.

Peas: Lincoln's birthday is pea planting day. (16 to a square) Honestly, that is a very early day to start them but they seem to survive year after year.....except for last year....almost total pea failure last year. Golden Sweet was the exception. I will plant more of those and a new snow pea I got from Italian Seed Company. Shelly peas: Maestro, an old friend. I have Sugar Daddy for snap peas. (I’ll find room for more squares of peas in March)

My location is a little warmer than yours. This winter, we have had frequent frosts, but our lowest temp, so far, was 28 degrees and that was just one night.

If you want to warm your beds a little faster, add a cover of clear or black plastic, like a painter's drop cloth.

Lavender Debs 2/2/2012, 1:16 pm

gwennifer wrote:I really appreciate you all sharing what you've been up to with your gardening. I'm a little astonished and would never have guessed things could be planted outdoors this early. ...snip... So... I thought it was too cold to plant. Do things change that quickly? I'd say it's been about ten degrees warmer overall this week over last. That's enough?

I don't know about FBmom and Happy Camper but the only thing I have planted is greens in a seed tray. The rest will be started on Lincoln's birthday. Peas and Fava beans can take the cold. Broccoli et all will just be started for transplanting in April (probably under cover)

FamilyGardening 2/2/2012, 4:10 pm

just went out this sunny afternoon to check out the garden....this is the first year i left some things in to see how they would do over winter....

happy to report i have some carrots-some of the greens just poking out and lots of about three inchs of carrots to eat Very Happy

i pulled two of them and they are so yummy!

lots of spinach with slight slug damage, tiny broc heads peaking out Shocked

, collard greens, some herbs, parsley was a first time planting last year so im happy to see that i can still pick some to give to my parakeets here in feb Very Happy

the cauliflower grew to small /med size but they are soggy! Sad

next fall we will cover them with hoops!

i see tiny greens coming up for onions.....

i think we will start some indoor things too.....it really helps to see what others in our area are doing PNW February 2012 3170584802

hugs

rose.....who really loved eating two fresh carrots from the garden in feb Laughing

happycamper 2/3/2012, 4:53 am

gwennifer wrote: would never have guessed things could be planted outdoors this early.

Gwennifer, Alaska Peas are very cold tolerant, I had planted them January 18th last year and they did great. Every year I toss a few radish seeds outside and when they start growing I know I can plant the Alaska peas. My area will have more freezing nights and probably some snow/ice but they will survive.

Furbalsmom, here is the article that spoke about the peas and the second link is a WSU garden calendar that seems to have very general information and no actual planting dates that I could find. Much luck to you in your information search.
http://gardening.wsu.edu/column/02-04.htm
http://gardening.wsu.edu/text/calen.htm

FamilyGardening 2/3/2012, 6:03 am

here are a few sites i have found helpful with making a planting calendar this year

The west side gardener has great info on planting times

http://westsidegardener.com/quick/timetable.html

here you choose your planting zone and it will generate a planting guide for your area…you can find a calendar for planting by moon, planting by transplants and planting by seed.....this one is my favorite Very Happy

http://www.almanac.com/content/best-planting-dates-transplants-region

here you put in your last frost date and it will give you a planting calendar http://bioarray.us/Skippy%27s%20planting%20calendar.html

hugs

rose

Lavender Debs 2/3/2012, 9:00 am

FamilyGardening wrote: ...snip... The west side gardener has great info on planting times

http://westsidegardener.com/quick/timetable.html
....hugs

rose

Good find! I have used him lots! He used to be the veggie guy on "The Rainy Side" with Deb TT. A beautiful blog. Now he has this seldom updated Wet Side and Deb contributes to Muck About. That IS a terrific resource. Thanks Rose.

**gwennifer** 2/3/2012, 1:41 pm

happycamper wrote:
Gwennifer, Alaska Peas are very cold tolerant, I had planted them January 18th last year and they did great. Every year I toss a few radish seeds outside and when they start growing I know I can plant the Alaska peas. My area will have more freezing nights and probably some snow/ice but they will survive.

I noticed Alaska peas in the store yesterday but didn't pick them up since I need to use up my Oregon Sugar Pods first. What are they? I'm from Anchorage, AK and I love to plant Alaska named/themed items in my landscape. I currrently have a gorgeous Alaskan Weeping Cedar, a few Alaska ferns, and some clumps of Northern Lights grass. I had Alaska Shasta Daisy's too at one point, but when they grew five feet tall and flopped all over with every rain they got pulled. I'm a lazy gardener.

What a great idea to throw a few radish seeds out every now and then! Love this forum. Thanks everyone!

**Furbalsmom** 2/3/2012, 8:23 pm

Alaska peas are a shelling type pea.

Personally, I prefer sugar snaps or snow peas because you can eat the whole pod. Feels like I get a larger harvest per sq ft

happycamper 2/5/2012, 2:10 am

Gwennifer, Furbalsmom is correct. Alaska Peas are a shelling canning/freezer pea. They are very difficult to shell in my opinion and I do not can or freeze them. We eat them straight out of the garden (whole) when they are small, young and tender.
When the seeds start to get large inside they become seed stock for the next gardening season because I think they lose their sweetness. I have one daughter that loves the taste but she will only eat them raw off the vine when she visits. I pick them and deliver occasionally as a treat for her.
My favorite shelling pea is Progress #9, they are very sweet and taste great in salads and Oregon Sugar Pod II are my staple for edible pods for many years now.
My apologies for not replying sooner, I don't always remember to bring my keyboard to this computer at night for posting.

**gwennifer** 2/5/2012, 2:21 am

No need to apologize happycamper! I certainly could have looked them up myself for that matter. But I think it's more fun being conversational sometimes! And thank you Furbalsmom. Wink

One trowelful of fresh blended compost was turned into each square today! So exciting! Gonna plant some peas by golly.

Lavender Debs 2/5/2012, 8:01 am

From the heart of PNW blogger Tom Conway of Vashon Island.

Winter Left the Door Ajar

**Furbalsmom** 2/5/2012, 4:34 pm

Finally started my first indoor seeds yesterday.

Kong Kohlrabi
Calabrese Broccoli
Veronica Broccoli
Snow Crown Cauliflower
Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed Lettuce
Parris Island Cos Romaine Lettuce

Last night plugged in the timer for my lights (needed light to germinate my lettuces) but apparently the outlet in the dining room is part of the GFI circuit with the breaker in the kitchen and everytime I turned on the flourescent lights, the GFI would turn the whole circuit off. PNW February 2012 671790

Had to relocate my whole seedling station from the dining room to the office. That was a pain in the toosh as it is stacked cinderblocks, various boards for shelves with the lights hanging above the two shelves. So now, it is finally set up and the timer works great.

Checked my list and will start some various onion seeds indoors today. Really hoping for green onions from these. I have onion sets (bulbs) but will wait a bit before setting those outside in the MM. I did not cover my MM with plastic so it is very cold.
Planning to germinate some peas inside, then plant them in the MM. My soil is just too cool for the peas to germinate outside right now. I may start some pea seedlings indoors. I have read that peas prefer to be directed seeded, but the community garden planted pea seedlings last year for the children's garden, along with some seeds, and both methods seemed to do well. If the seedlings don't transplant well, not a problem. Somehow, PNW February 2012 615992

I ended up with many, many, too many peas for my maxium of 6 squares.

Sugar Snap type
Super Sugar Snap (2 1/2 pkgs)
Sugar Snap (2 pkgs)
Sugar Daddy (1 pkg

Snow Type
Sugar Pod II (2 pkgs)
Mammoth Melting Sugar Peas(1 Pkg)

FamilyGardening 2/5/2012, 5:26 pm

what a wonderful sunny day today Very Happy

i thought to my self could spring come early?.....brrrr its still cold out there....yet with the sun so bright and the encouragement of my sfg friends starting some seeds is in the near future for me Very Happy

hubby picked up some of the jiffy starter disks, some soil and plastic cups to start our babies in Very Happy

our growing area with grow lights is still to cold for our babies.....inside the house they will be started and i see a new set up with grow lights in our future.....hubby just doesnt know it yet....hee hee

hugs

rose

**Furbalsmom** 2/5/2012, 8:12 pm

FamilyGardening 2/6/2012, 2:27 am

well we did it! PNW February 2012 53366

my five year old and i sowed some seeds indoors cheers

not some....a lot affraid

.......we both had so much fun!.....i will post some pics when we have babies flower

hugs

rose....who now has dirt under her nails sunny

EatYourVeggies 2/6/2012, 4:44 am

It must have been the gorgeous weather we've been having the past few days. I managed to get out and hoe the row garden that I inherited when I moved in. Then I leveled it and spread the initial layer of cardboard, prior to building and placing my SFG boxes. I also transplanted five house plants and twenty three herbs that I had started two weeks ago. The Rosemary didn't do so well, but all the rest had already outgrown the peat pellets I started them in.

Yesterday, I had gone and picked up worms, got my Vermicomposting started and that was after I got back home from a four hour gardening class. What a great weekend. Very Happy

**gwennifer** 2/6/2012, 12:25 pm

Yes, the weather here has been and is currently absolutely gorgeous! PNW February 2012 832433

But when I open the blinds each morning and look at my garden, it's covered in frost.

I only wish that infusion of sunlight streaming through the windows didn't highlight how dirty they are and how much dust is floating around in here. I want to play outside, but the spring cleaning bug has bit as well.

Lavender Debs 2/6/2012, 1:02 pm

EatYourVeggies wrote: ...snip... and that was after I got back home from a four hour gardening class. What a great weekend.

What class did you take? Ray and I went to Sunnyside Nursery for a fruit tree pruning class. The video will be on my blog soon.

PNW February 2012 20120210

Debs....watching the babies grow in their little plastic cells, trying to avoid buying more.....unless I can convince Ray to take me to Mt Vernon.

EatYourVeggies 2/6/2012, 4:56 pm

[quote="Lavender Debs"]

EatYourVeggies wrote: ...snip... and that was after I got back home from a four hour gardening class. What a great weekend.

What class did you take?

This was the 2nd in a four part series. Its through WSU/Clark County Extension and is for becoming a Growing Groceries Mentor. I'm also currenly taking local classes on keeping bees and planning to follow up with the Master Gardener and Master Composter courses through WSU/Clark County Extension.

Kind of a heads up, or keeping fellow PNW gardeners in the loop, I'm also going to be trying to find out what interest there would be for a 3 Day SFG Symposium for Teacher Certification. The SFG Foundation sounds like they would be willing to hold one in the area with enough participants and I will be posting more soon in a new thread.

Noie 2/6/2012, 9:45 pm

I couldn't resist the weather either! I planted just a few seeds outside yesterday. The soil seemed warm. Maybe they'll live, maybe they won't, but I have a lot more seeds and it was fun to play in the dirt. PNW February 2012 1280598131

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