To sow or not to sow, that is the question

Hi everyone! I had a rockin' raised bed garden in West Seattle circa 2009 after moving here from Texas. It was an unseasonably warm, early summer and things were great.  Fast forward to a move to Tacoma, a toddler and a very late install of new raised beds.  We literally planted starters today!

I could not find starters for some veggies I really wanted to grow so I picked up seeds: Kohlrabi, spinach and carrots.  I'm confused at everything I read including the seed package to wait until July for Fall harvest.  Except for Mother News Earth. Am I understanding the chart correctly? I can direct sow these three now?

(Add w w w) motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/what-to-plant-now-june-pacific-northwest-gardening-region.aspx#axzz2V1lAmdO3

Thanks everyone!

welcome to the PNW area of the SFG forum  marinazar

yes....from what we understand we too will be planting some carrots and spinach for a fall harvest....your Kohlrabi should be fine too.....we have cole crop seedlings growing inside under lights now....cabbage, kale, collard greens, broccoli and cauliflower...

we also will be replanting sugar snap peas and lettuce for a fall harvest.....

we are still learning on planting for a fall and/or winter harvesting....so i hope others will come along with what their plans are

this is a great forum and we have wonderful gardeners here in the PNW...its really nice when another gardener comes along  we love pictures too!

happy gardening
rose....who is gardening on the puter cause its POURing out side

Hi,  marinazar, and    to the  forum!

I read your Mother Earth News chart, and I came to the same  conclusion as you did: plant those seeds in June. However, reading the articles seems to suggest maybe waiting a bit.
Do your seed packages give a "xx Days to Maturity" guide? Count backward from your last frost date, add in some more time (as in, plant earlier) to make sure they really do mature.  Hope it helps!

Hi marinazar and to the forum! Glad you found us in the PNW section.

I include that Mother Earth News "What to Plant Now" chart in each of the new monthly threads. I questioned the idea of planting carrots and lettuce in June as well. All the seed packages recommend July for fall harvest, like you noticed. And counting back from the first frost for me means July as well. But I decided to try it just to see what happens. My lettuce isn't doing much yet, but the carrots seem to be doing well. I hear carrots will slow down in the heat, but leaving them in longer in the fall if they didn't turn out to grow much through June/July won't hurt them. Lettuce, we'll see. So far mine hasn't done much. Another member here in the PNW, happycamper, grows it year round. She puts it behind taller growing tomatoes and such during the hot summer months.

Anyway, congrats on your new raised beds and your sweet little toddler! So glad you were able to find some starts to fill up those beds and make use of the season. I did some starts this year as well due to my raised beds getting completed later than expected! Now is a great time to sow beans if you want to see something grow from seed. I'm trying Dragons Tongue bush beans this year, based on rave reviews by some members here. So far super fun to grow because their first leaves are HUGE.

Hi marinazar,

You're right: 2009 was a fabulous year to be a vegetable gardener.  On the other hand, 2010 was nearly a disaster.

And that is the answer to your question!  It's futile to precisely plan your planting dates.  Here in the PNW, our average weather is marginal,  and it varies  unpredictably one way or another from year to year.

For the last 4 years, I've been starting my fall planting a little bit earlier each year.  I've already started some cool crops (earliest ever for me), and will stagger start some more over the next few weeks in order to hedge my bets against the weather, whatever it may be.

I would suggest starting your planting now, and then stagger some more plantings over the next month.

Thanks for all the warm welcomes!

I think I have it. I think :-)

I'll direct sow the Kohlrabi and some of the carrots now. Then I'll sow the spinach indoors until July. Sound ok?

I'm loving our new boxes and this forum!

P.s. I got out Ed Humes' Northwest Gardening and his chart has Kohlrabi 4/1 to 7/15 direct sow.  Yaay!

Spinach start indoors. Plant 4/1 to 8/15.  Check.
Carrots direct sow 3/15 - 7/15. Check.

I'm excited to get back outside!

Just keep posting so I can see that darling little face come up with your avatar pic!

Oh my goodness you are too funny!

He is pretty cute :-)