Laidback Gardener Tip of the Day

Early Bird Vegetables

20150430When night temperatures begin to rise above 40?F (5°C) and the soil in your garden has dried out a bit, you can start sowing your first vegetables outdoors. Not just any vegetable, however. Only those that tolerate cold nights, such as the following:

  • Beet
  • ?Broad bean
  • Carrot
  • Kale
  • Kohlrabi
  • Pea
  • Radish
  • Shallot (bulb)
  • Spinach
  • Swiss chard

Sow the seeds at a depth about equal to three times their height. And be patient: early sowings germinate more slowly and irregularly that the same seeds sown at the end of May. Also their growth may be considerably slower, particularly if the temperature remains cool. But still, it’s a start!

Garden writer and blogger, author of 65 gardening books, lecturer and communicator, the Laidback Gardener, Larry Hodgson, passed away in October 2022. Known for his great generosity, his thoroughness and his sense of humor, he reached several generations of amateur and professional gardeners over his 40-year career. Thanks to his son, Mathieu Hodgson, and a team of contributors, laidbackgardener.blog will continue its mission of demystifying gardening and making it more accessible to all.

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