High Dry Farm, Sultan, Washington….Certified Organic
After it’s summer crop of tomatoes and peppers, the new hoophouse has been seeded for its winter crop of carrots, spinach, and hakurei turnips. This winter crop is always risky business because germination takes weeks and nothing really grows significantly until day length increases to 10 hours, which happens in the middle of February.
Here are two varieties of arugula – Esmee on the left and Astro on the right.
I have removed the last of the tomato plants from the high tunnel and begun replacing them with lettuce and spinach transplants. The high tunnel has performed beautifully in its first summer season.
I have used various systems to decide what date to sow tomatoes. Choosing the correct date for indoor sowing requires predicting how soon consistently warm weather will arrive in the Spring, and this varies tremendously from year to year. This year I have adopted a new system I sow when my dog Lucy starts to actively shed her winter coat. Today’s the day!
Equinox defines the two dates each year at which day and night are of equal length. A more useful set of dates for gardeners are the dates at which the day starts and stops being longer than 10 hours, because this is the minimum number of daylight hours required to allow growth of most plants. I call this the veginox. Here in the Seattle area, at latitude 47N37, the spring veginox is February 8 and the winter veginox is November 3.
You may determine the dates for veginox at your location by using this form.
| Vegetable | Start plants this long before planting date | Planting date 98294 area code | Distance between rowsc |
Distance apart in the row |
| Artichokes (globe) | Crown pieces | Aug.-Nov. April-June |
48-60″ | 48-60″ |
| Asparagus | 1 year | Feb.-March | 60″ | 12″ |
| Beans (lima) | not suitable | May-June | 12-24″ | 4-6″ bush 12-24″ pole |
| Beans (snap) | not suitable | May-July | 12-24″ | 2-6″ bush 12-24″ pole |
| Beets | not suitable | March-June | 12″ | 1-2″ |
| Broccoli | 6 weeks Jan-July | March-Aug. | 12-24″ | 12-24″ |
| Brussels sprouts | 6 weeks Mar.-June | May-July | 24″ | 24″ |
| Cabbage | 6 weeks Mar.-May | April-June | 24″ | 24″ |
| Cantaloupes | 4 weeks April | May | 48″ | 48″ |
| Carrots | not suitable | March-July 15 | 12″ | 2″ |
| Cauliflower | 6 weeks Mar.-June 1 | April-July 15 | 24″ | 24″ |
| Celery | 9 weeks Jan. – May | March-July | 24″ | 5″ |
| Chard | not suitable | April-July | 24″ | 12 inches |
| Chinese cabbage | 4 weeks July | August | 30″ | 6″ |
| Chives | 6 weeks Feb.1 – April. 15 | March-May | Needs 4 sq ft | Scatter |
| Corn (sweet) | not suitable | April-June | 36″ | 15″ |
| Cucumbers (slicing) | 4 weeks April-May | May-June | 48″ | 24″ |
| Cucumbers (pickling) |
4 weeks | May-June | 48″ | 6-12″ |
| Dill | not suitable | May | 24″ | 6-9″ |
| Eggplants | 9 weeks March | May | 24″ | 24″ |
| Endive | 6 weeks Feb. -July 1 | April-Aug. 15 | 12″ | 10″ |
| Garlic | not suitable | Sept.-Feb. | 18″ | 3″ |
| Kale | not suitable | May-July | 24″ | 24″ |
| Kohlrabi | not suitable | April-Aug. 15 | 24″ | 3″ |
| Leeks | 4 weeks Feb. – April | March-May | 24″ | 2″ |
| Lettuce (head) | 5 weeks Mar. – June | April-July | 12″ | 12″ |
| Lettuce (leaf) | 5 weeks Mar. -June | April-Aug. | 12″ | 6″ |
| Okra | 8 weeks | not suitable | 24″ | 18″ |
| Onions | 10 weeks Jan.-Mar. | Mar.-May | 12″ | 3″ |
| Parsley | 10 weeks Jan.-May | Mar.-June | 12″ | 8″ |
| Parsnips | not suitable | April-May | 24″ | 3″ |
| Peas | not suitable | Feb.-May | 36″ bush 48″ vine |
2″ |
| Peppers | 10 weeks Mar.1-Apr.1 | May-June | 24″ | 12-18″ |
| Potatoes (sweet) | 6 weeks | not suitable | 48″ | 12″ |
| Potatoes (white) | not suitable | April-June | 30″ | 12″ |
| Pumpkins | 4 weeks May | May | 72″ | 48″ |
| Radish | not suitable | March-Sept. | 12″ | 1″ |
| Rhubarb | Crown pieces | March-April | 48″ | 36″ |
| Rutabagas | not suitable | June-July | 24″ | 3″ |
| Spinach | not suitable | April & Sept. | 12″ | 3″ |
| Squash (summer) | 4 weeks Apr.-May | May-June | 48″ | 24″ |
| Squash (winter) | 4 weeks Apr. | May | 72″ | 48″ |
| Tomatoes | 8 weeks Mar.- | May | 36-48″, closer if supported |
24-36″ |
| Turnips | not suitable | Apr.-Sept. | 24″ | 2″ |
| Watermelons | 4 weeks Apr. | May | 72″ | 60″ |