The weather is certainly not cooperating with my plans for the garden right now. On December 30th the overnight temperature is forecast to be 29⁰ F. That is a hard freeze for us here in south Louisiana this early in the season. Right now, the Christmas tree and poinsettias in my living room are sharing space with about two dozen tender perennials in pots. It’s truly a lovely display. I’m waiting for the Architectural Digest photographers any day now.
Believe it or not, now is the time to start seeds indoors so that you will have plants to set out in early spring. So why would you want to start seeds yourself when you can buy transplants in any big box store or nursery come spring? Well, cost is one reason. You can buy an entire pack of seeds for the cost of a single transplant. Choice is another, wonderful reason to choose seed. Transplants are available in a very limited variety. Take tomatoes for example, there might be a dozen varieties in a big box store; in a good nursery, you might find two dozen varieties. In the Seed Savers Exchange catalog, you will find seventy-two varieties; in the Territorial Seed catalog, you will find 110 varieties. Among these, you will find ultra-early, early, main season, and storage tomatoes, as well as sauce/paste tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, currant tomatoes, greenhouse tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes. You will find red, pink, orange, yellow, white, purple, brown, and striped tomatoes in seed packets that you will never find in transplants. And peppers? Seed Savers offers sixty-three, Totally Tomatoes over one hundred, but I think you are beginning to get the idea - seeds, especially those offered via catalogs or online, offer myriads of varieties that you will never see if you only rely on what the local nurseries offer as transplants. Now granted, not all of these varieties are good for our particular climate, so it is always a good idea to plant one or two varieties from the LSU Ag Center recommendations to improve your chances for a reliable harvest, but for the cost of a packet of seeds, you can afford to experiment. Who knows, you may be planting your new favorite.
Now that I’ve covered the dreaming part, let’s get down to details. Start the new year off by planting seeds indoors to produce transplants for setting outdoors later. Beginning now, you can plant tomatoes, broccoli, and kohlrabi seeds, then about mid-January, plant peppers, cauliflower, and eggplant seeds. These will all be ready to set out between six and eight weeks later. Plant sequentially to extend the harvest. For example, plant some tomato seeds this week, then plant a few more every two weeks until March 15th .
Transplant each group into the garden starting mid-February. Do not try to plant all the seed at the same time, and then hold some of them. Keeping the seedlings in small pots can stress the plant and can produce a number of problems, so make sure you plant your new seedlings at the right time. Make certain to maintain a consistent, recommended moisture level for these seeds, and the seedlings they will produce, until time to set them out in the garden. Allowing them to dry out may cause some of them to bolt (go to seed), and it can cause others, like broccoli and cauliflower, to produce tiny little heads, called button heads – edible, but far from the production that you were expecting.
In our wonderful climate, you aren’t restricted to only planting indoors in January, you can start planting outdoors in mid-January. Plant carrots, cabbage, radish, leek sets, beets, lettuces, English peas, and chard in nice sunny spots in the garden. Starting about January 20th you can plant Irish potatoes, too. So, if it’s just too cold to go out, or raining, plant seeds indoors, it will give you that gardening ‘fix’ you need. If it’s not raining, put on your sweater, gloves and a warm hat and get outside. The weather may be cold, but now is the best time to start your spring garden – from seed. Until next month—Good Gardening.
Believe it or not, now is the time to start seeds indoors so that you will have plants to set out in early spring. So why would you want to start seeds yourself when you can buy transplants in any big box store or nursery come spring? Well, cost is one reason. You can buy an entire pack of seeds for the cost of a single transplant. Choice is another, wonderful reason to choose seed. Transplants are available in a very limited variety. Take tomatoes for example, there might be a dozen varieties in a big box store; in a good nursery, you might find two dozen varieties. In the Seed Savers Exchange catalog, you will find seventy-two varieties; in the Territorial Seed catalog, you will find 110 varieties. Among these, you will find ultra-early, early, main season, and storage tomatoes, as well as sauce/paste tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes, currant tomatoes, greenhouse tomatoes, and heirloom tomatoes. You will find red, pink, orange, yellow, white, purple, brown, and striped tomatoes in seed packets that you will never find in transplants. And peppers? Seed Savers offers sixty-three, Totally Tomatoes over one hundred, but I think you are beginning to get the idea - seeds, especially those offered via catalogs or online, offer myriads of varieties that you will never see if you only rely on what the local nurseries offer as transplants. Now granted, not all of these varieties are good for our particular climate, so it is always a good idea to plant one or two varieties from the LSU Ag Center recommendations to improve your chances for a reliable harvest, but for the cost of a packet of seeds, you can afford to experiment. Who knows, you may be planting your new favorite.
Now that I’ve covered the dreaming part, let’s get down to details. Start the new year off by planting seeds indoors to produce transplants for setting outdoors later. Beginning now, you can plant tomatoes, broccoli, and kohlrabi seeds, then about mid-January, plant peppers, cauliflower, and eggplant seeds. These will all be ready to set out between six and eight weeks later. Plant sequentially to extend the harvest. For example, plant some tomato seeds this week, then plant a few more every two weeks until March 15th .
Transplant each group into the garden starting mid-February. Do not try to plant all the seed at the same time, and then hold some of them. Keeping the seedlings in small pots can stress the plant and can produce a number of problems, so make sure you plant your new seedlings at the right time. Make certain to maintain a consistent, recommended moisture level for these seeds, and the seedlings they will produce, until time to set them out in the garden. Allowing them to dry out may cause some of them to bolt (go to seed), and it can cause others, like broccoli and cauliflower, to produce tiny little heads, called button heads – edible, but far from the production that you were expecting.
In our wonderful climate, you aren’t restricted to only planting indoors in January, you can start planting outdoors in mid-January. Plant carrots, cabbage, radish, leek sets, beets, lettuces, English peas, and chard in nice sunny spots in the garden. Starting about January 20th you can plant Irish potatoes, too. So, if it’s just too cold to go out, or raining, plant seeds indoors, it will give you that gardening ‘fix’ you need. If it’s not raining, put on your sweater, gloves and a warm hat and get outside. The weather may be cold, but now is the best time to start your spring garden – from seed. Until next month—Good Gardening.
MaryAnn Armbruster, Ph.D.
MaryAnn Armbruster, Ph.D. is a certified Advanced Master Gardener and member of the Lafayette Parish Master Gardeners.
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