Maritime SGFG 2017

Hmmm, That shouldn't have rotated.

Regardless, this is the basic plan that I have currently.  The open spots are for things that I hope to plant if my old seeds germinate.  Otherwise they'll just be duplicates of items already planned for.

If you have suggestions or comments on how to improve this, feel free to ask/comment.

I'd give the corn more squares for better polination. Otherwise, looks good.

I am not familiar with the growing conditions up in the great north but can you grow cool season crops (like peas, lettuce, garlic, onions and spinach) at the same time you grow warm season crops (like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash).  

Hope TD, Kelejan and the other Canadians can help.

Agree with Sanderson about the corn but it is possible to hand pollinate corn but it is a pain.

sanderson wrote:I'd give the corn more squares for better polination.  Otherwise, looks good.

More squares as in more corn, or more squares per corn?

yolos wrote:I am not familiar with the growing conditions up in the great north but can you grow cool season crops (like peas, lettuce, garlic, onions and spinach) at the same time you grow warm season crops (like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash).  
...

yolos ... I don't have much choice given the relatively short growing season. I already have peas, lettuce, onions, swiss chard and garlic growing in the SFG. In the next day or so the tomato transplants will go in, followed by the peppers and tomatillos. Then early in June (perhaps sooner if it looks like the weather will be warm) I will put in the cucumbers and squash via transplants and/or direct seeding. Some cool weather crops will be finished during the heat of summer. I've never had success with a second cool weather veggie crop for the Fall. The Fall crop needs to be started in August and it is often too hot. I may try again this year by starting some things indoors in the summer and then transplanting outside as the weather cools off. I sometimes wonder why I even bother with a veggie garden given the restrictions imposed by weather and short seasons. But as Mrs TD keeps reminding me ... it's a hobby. As well it gives me some exercise.

yolos wrote:I am not familiar with the growing conditions up in the great north but can you grow cool season crops (like peas, lettuce, garlic, onions and spinach) at the same time you grow warm season crops (like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash).  

In most places no.  Here in SE NB, it strangely works.  I have absolutely no idea why, but in the past when I've combined them, I've had no issue whatsoever.  Granted this will be my first year doing squash, corn and cukes, but have had little to no issues with peppers, tomatoes and other hot loving plants.

SwampTroll wrote:

yolos wrote:I am not familiar with the growing conditions up in the great north but can you grow cool season crops (like peas, lettuce, garlic, onions and spinach) at the same time you grow warm season crops (like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash).  

In most places no.  Here in SE NB, it strangely works.  I have absolutely no idea why, but in the past when I've combined them, I've had no issue whatsoever.  Granted this will be my first year doing squash, corn and cukes, but have had little to no issues with peppers, tomatoes and other hot loving plants.

ST I'm not sure why you say "In most place no".  I think in northern climates like ours it is quite common to grow cool weather crops and warm season crops at the same time with some overlap but not starting and ending at the same time. We can start the cool weather crops earlier in the Spring and allow them to overlap with the warm weather crops which are started later in the Spring. They grow side by side into the Summer. We should also be able to start some new cool weather crops late in the summer and they will grow alongside the hot weather crops for a period of time.  After the warm weather crops are finished then the cool weather crops continue for a period of time.

Milkweed is perennial, and IIRC it spreads underground via rhizomes. I hope you grow some for the monarchs! But you may want to reconsider having it directly in your SFG bed.

I'm surprised to see a single square of strawberries because they are also a spreading perennial. Not sure if you have a secret plan like using the plants to make runner-baby plants for another bed, or whether I should suggest you read up more on strawberries. It's not a bad plan to start with one square, but you'll want to have a management plan for this year and next year, depending on your goals.

I'd, personally, move the beets away from the peas, tomatoes and cucumbers because I won't want to disturb the roots of those when I pull the beets. This fear may be unfounded; I don't think I've heard anyone else mention it, and I haven't tested it. And it wouldn't apply if they are fall beets to be pulled after the peas are done and when the tomatoes are already on their way out. 

I'm in Pennsylvania, and my cool and warm crops overlap in the way TD explains. I just sowed my last spring lettuce succession (my 8th this year), and if I was on schedule with my plan, most of my warm season crops would already be transplanted. The first two successions of lettuce are mature. The last spring one I just sowed may or may not give me an ok harvest of individual leaves before they bolt. I'll be transplanting those last spring lettuces (too many vanishing seedlings, probably via slugs, for direct sowing) to squares that will be shaded by other plants by the time these lettuces would near completion, but whether I succeed just depends on the weather/temperatures. I'm now on an approximately two month hiatus on lettuce planting. When I start up again, I'll still be starting indoors because it will be too hot outside. But those first fall lettuces should mature before the tomatoes are done for the year.

trolleydriver wrote:

SwampTroll wrote:

yolos wrote:I am not familiar with the growing conditions up in the great north but can you grow cool season crops (like peas, lettuce, garlic, onions and spinach) at the same time you grow warm season crops (like tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, squash).  

In most places no.  Here in SE NB, it strangely works.  I have absolutely no idea why, but in the past when I've combined them, I've had no issue whatsoever.  Granted this will be my first year doing squash, corn and cukes, but have had little to no issues with peppers, tomatoes and other hot loving plants.

ST I'm not sure why you say "In most place no".  I think in northern climates like ours it is quite common to grow cool weather crops and warm season crops at the same time with some overlap but not starting and ending at the same time. We can start the cool weather crops earlier in the Spring and allow them to overlap with the warm weather crops which are started later in the Spring. They grow side by side into the Summer. We should also be able to start some new cool weather crops late in the summer and they will grow alongside the hot weather crops for a period of time.  After the warm weather crops are finished then the cool weather crops continue for a period of time.

Very interesting the different planting methods/times of the far north vs the far south.  For instance, I seeded my broccoli inside on 1/21.  Transplanted to the garden on 3/4.  Began harvesting my first head on 4/26.  Harvested my last head on 5/13 just before getting ready to bolt.  Then planted squash and cucumbers in the same bed.  I will be ready to transplant broccoli again on about 9/1 unless we are having a heat wave. At that time, I might have to use shade cloth to keep the heat down in the bed.

Heck, we still had 2-4 feet of snow on the ground in March.

@Beetles  Good catch. I'll move the beets back to be along side the black kale.    The swamp milkweed will have to be moved elsewhere and I'll have to figure out what to do about the strawberries.  I forgot how voracious they can be in their spread.  Guess I've got more room to experiment with my older seeds with.  

@TD  I've had no success growing both cold and warm crops side by side in the Ottawa Valley, in Nova Scotia or in Chicago which all have comparative climates.  Yet here it seems to work.   I'm glad to hear that others have figured out how to make it work as well.  Must mean I'm finally doing something right.

SwampTroll wrote:@Beetles  Good catch. I'll move the beets back to be along side the black kale.    The swamp milkweed will have to be moved elsewhere and I'll have to figure out what to do about the strawberries.  I forgot how voracious they can be in their spread.  Guess I've got more room to experiment with my older seeds with.  

@TD  I've had no success growing both cold and warm crops side by side in the Ottawa Valley, in Nova Scotia or in Chicago which all have comparative climates.  Yet here it seems to work.   I'm glad to hear that others have figured out how to make it work as well.  Must mean I'm finally doing something right.

ST ... I think it may have to do with timing when to plant out cool versus warm weather crops. They may not do well if planted at the same time. I am sure there are farmers near me some of whom plant cool weather crops and others who plant warm weather crops in the same climate or maybe a given farmer will grow both types of crops. The cool weather crops will go to market before the warm weather crops but for a period they will be growing in parallel at the same time.

By the way ST, you have a good plan.  I think you have one square of nasturtiums. I might suggest that you move the nasturtiums to an outer square and allow them to drape over the side of the bed otherwise they may take over adjacent squares.

ST ... here is what the nasturtiums looked like in the corner of my table top SFG last year.

Latest plan.

SwampTroll wrote:

sanderson wrote:I'd give the corn more squares for better polination.  Otherwise, looks good.

More squares as in more corn, or more squares per corn?

More squares of corn, like four squares. Each square has 4 corn stalks.

sanderson wrote:  Each square has 4 corn stalks.

Uh oh....why did I put 9/sq??? Did I read that somewhere?

oiy.
OH...maybe it was so the raccoons will leave me some.

I should have done that when Sweetie was with me.

Thanks for the advice Sanderson.

Good thing I had the extra square available.  I'm just hoping my corn sprouts.  Does it normally take an extra long time to germinate?

SwampTroll wrote:Thanks for the advice Sanderson.

Good thing I had the extra square available.  I'm just hoping my corn sprouts.  Does it normally take an extra long time to germinate?

I grow Silver Queen.  It first starts germinating and poking out of the soil after about 4 days.  All seeds have germinated and poking out of the soil no later than 7 days.  But it does depend somewhat on the soil temps.  Corn like warm soil.

My Indigo tomatoes starting off nicely
My blueberry garden and Gayle
Blueberry garden from a different angle.

---