February 2021 Edible Garden Planner

Overwintering parsley, oregano, tarragon

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Green things start popping up in the garden in February.  The first up are the perennial edibles and ornamentals like cultivated dandelions, sorrel, arugula, chives, crocus, daffodils, and hyacinths.  Daffodils already have flower buds.  Overwintering carrots, dill, parsley, onions, kale, leeks, garlic, sprouting broccoli, mustard greens, arugula, cabbage and broccoli are early greenery in the garden.  

February is the month to get the garden ready for the spring planting frenzy!

You can get a jump on the garden by starting seeds indoors.  It is easy and a budget friendly option that allows you to grow many varieties not available at your neighborhood nursery or big box store.  Besides, it is fun to watch green things grow.

10-12 weeks prior (end Jan/beginning of Feb in our Zone 7 garden)

Artichokes  Growing artichokes and cardoons

Arugula  Growing fabulous lettuce and greens

Bay  Start a kitchen herb garden!

Broccoli  How to grow broccoli and cauliflower

Cabbage  Cabbage is nutritious and easy to grow

Catnip

Celery  Give celery a try, an easy to grow garden staple

Chives  Add chives to your garden

Endive 

Escarole

Fennel  Growing fennel

Fenu

Horseradish

Leek, if starting from seed

Lettuce  Everything you need to know about growing lettuce

Mache

Mint

Mizuna

Onions, if starting from seed  Everything to know about growing onions

Parsley  Self-seeding crops, plant once and forget 'em

Peas  Time to plant peas!

Rhubarb

Shallots, if starting from seed  

Strawberries  Back yard strawberries

Summer savory  

Sorrel  Want a vegetable and fruit garden that you only have to plant once? Try perennials!

8-10 weeks prior (mid-February in our Zone 7 garden)

Bee balm

Celeriac

Eggplant  Eggplant-add this native from India to your garden

Kale  Collards and kale in your garden

Kohlrabi  Kohlrabi-a less well known spring vegetable

Lavender  Using herbs, flowers and fruit for flavored sugars and salts

Lovage

Marjoram

Mustard  Mustard greens

Oregano

Rosemary  Make your own "Herbes de Provence"

Scallions, if starting from seed

Spinach  Grow spinach-a super nutritious, easy green

Thyme

Turnips  All about turnips

For a full seed starting calendar, Indoor Seed Starting Calendar

For both seed sowing and outdoor transplant timing, Indoor sowing/outdoor planting dates

What are the tricks to successful seed starting?  The most surefire I have found with a gadget is the Aerogarden with the seed starting tray.  I have almost 100% germination rate with it.

Aerogarden with seedlings sprouting

When starting in conventional peat/coir pots, the key is using sterile seed starting mix, pots and containers.  You can make your own seed starting mix with peat moss or coir (renewable), compost, and vermiculite.  Just be sure to heat the compost to at least 150 degrees for 20 minutes to kill any pathogens before using to start seeds.

Place the seeds in the starter mix in the pots and wet thoroughly from the bottom (watering from the top can dislodge seeds).  After fully saturated, they are ready to put in a catch pan.  Make sure any catch pan that you use has been thoroughly washed in a bleach solution so all pathogens are killed.  The one I just bought has a water reservoir in the bottom of it that wicks the moisture up under the seedlings.

I put my seed starts in a plastic tray under grow lights and heating mat.  Keep moist, but not wet, and with the heating pad on during the day until seedling emerges.  Once seedling emerges, remove the heating pad.  If you don't have a grow light, place the tray in a south facing window for the best light.

Indoor seed starting tips

Ideal soil temperatures for starting your seeds

Make your own peat pots

Make sure you label your seedlings as soon as you plant them; you may think you will remember 2 months from now what was where, but likely not.  I keep a piece of paper under the seed starter that has captured for each cell what is planted in the cell.  I have also put the plant marker in the coir pot with the name on it when I plant the seed.  

Now is also a great time to start keeping a journal.  Start tracking what you planted when so you can review next year what worked well to repeat and what didn’t work so well to tweak.  Keep a garden diary

Your seedling’s first leaves are not “true” leaves; think of them as baby teeth.  The second sets of leaves are their true leaves.  They are ready to be hardened off when they have their first set of true leaves.  Seedlings must be hardened and not just thrown outside.  You take them out a little at a time, gradually increasing their exposure to sun and cold, only during the daytime.  I try and plant when there is a warm spell forecasted to minimize the shock.

There are great selections of herbs and veggies at nurseries and big box stores nowadays so you have great options just waiting until spring is officially here and picking up what looks good at your nearby store in a couple of months.  This is also a great back up if your first seed starting adventure goes a little awry...........

Overwintering carrots

Before you start planting, it is a good idea to do a soil test to see what nutrients your garden needs.  You can buy a kit for testing, take a soil sample to your local extension office or send off a sample for a more rigorous soil analysis.   The next step in garden production and your nutrit...  If you don't want to go to the trouble of a soil test, add a well balanced, organic fertilizer to your garden bed, cover with compost, and top with mulch.  

If you are putting in new garden beds, here are some tips  Put in a new garden bed the easy way-really  

I like gardening in our flower beds and in pots.  I fertilize, add a layer of compost before mulching.  This keeps the nutrition where the plants can get to it easier.  Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds

Asparagus, fruit trees and bushes, garlic, grapes, shallots, spinach and peas seeds can be planted in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked.  Outdoor seed sowing seed starting times  If gardening in mulched flower beds, I clear a small slit in the mulch and then sow the seeds and cover with potting soil.  Most seedlings are not quite strong enough to break through the mulch.

I am still trying to decide what to plant in the garden this year.  I try to capture at the end of the gardening season what I wanted to plant in next year's garden.  Reflecting back on the 2020 edible garden; planning for 2021   This year we are putting on an addition where my existing edible garden is so I will be very limited in space this year.  I'll need to fully leverage growing in pots and using compact varieties as well as being choiceful.  Surprising veggies that can be grown in pots  Veggies for small spaces

  Here is what I definitely have in my garden every year or make sure I still have enough in the freezer to last another year:  herbs, chives, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, eggplant, summer and spaghetti squash, green beans, snap peas and lots of flowers!  2020 Edible Garden Plan

Garden planning

 For different garden ideas, here are a few to choose from:   Heirloom Sicilian kitchen garden, Small space French kitchen garden, Start a kitchen herb garden!  Children's edible garden  Colonial Vegetable Garden

For first time or busy gardeners, Easy kitchen garden 

Hang on, Spring is almost here!

What's surviving in the late January edible garden

Chinese cabbage "Hilton"

Saturday, January 30, 2021

In our Zone 6/7 garden, mustard greens, sage, sorrel, sage, cabbage, chard, carrots, thyme, oregano, garlic, chives, onions, lettuce, leeks, beets, parsley, sprouting broccoli and celery are all still green in our January garden with no protection.  The peppers, basil, rosemary, stevia, moringa, lemon grass, eggplant, olive, bay and citrus plants over wintering in the unheated garage are also still green. Our kumquat is loaded with green and orange fruits.

To keep your cold hardy crops going as long as possible, be sure to apply a good layer of mulch in the fall.  Frost forecasted? Here’s your to-do list  Preparing for a hard freeze

Austrian peas are a great winter crop to grow for salad greens.  I plant the seeds in the fall in pots.  They stay green all winter long with no protection in the garden.  You can plant peas for early spring eating next month, as soon as the soil can be worked.  Time to plant peas!

Don't despair if your beet, leek, onion or carrot tops look a little worse for wear, the onion bulb and carrot under the ground are harvestable all winter.  All you need to know about growing carrots    Onions-everything you need to know to grow 'em     All about beautiful beets

Mulch is not only good for retaining moisture and keeping the soil cooler in the summer, but does the same in winter, keeping the soil warmer.  This lengthens the winter harvest and protects more tender crops so that they have a better chance of reviving in the spring to give an extra early spring harvest.  As your mulch breaks down, it adds organic matter to the soil.  Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds

You can also use cloches, covers, and greenhouses to extend the harvest and get a jump on spring.   Biggest watch out when using cloches and green houses is to open when the sun is shining and temps get above freezing.  Temperatures can rise quickly inside the protection, killing the plant.  A row cover has more breathability, but that also means it will not keep the plants as warm.  See this blog for more on protecting plants  Extend the season with protection for plants   

Plastic row cover

I use portable greenhouses to cover the pots that I grow salad greens in year round.  This year, I also put in perennials that are hardy to Zone 8 to see if they survive our winter with cover.  Right now, there is different lettuce, arugula, chard, Italian dandelion, celery, parsley, sprouting broccoli growing quite happily in the greenhouse.  Even in the Midwest you can get fresh food year round by planting winter hardy varieties and/or using protective covers.

You can garden year round in small space

Winter edible garden

Salad greens inside a portable greenhouse cover

Support local farmers and get weekly deliveries via CSA

Sunday, January 24, 2021

There are a few great ways to support your local farmers and get the freshest, most nutritious produce.  Try farmers markets, join a CSA or at least buy local at your supermarket.  Of the three, farmers market and CSA give the most back to your local farmer.  

Not only does buying local make sense for your pocketbook and local economy, but also your tastebuds.  You get many different types of produce you won't find in the store with varieties that taste fabulous, but don't transport well.  Local farmers are crafts people and love trying new varieties so you will find unusual types of produce that most grocery stores don't carry.  Since they come right out of the field, they are also super fresh.

What is a CSA?  

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  It is where you invest in a local farmer typically in January when they have to purchase their seeds and supplies for the upcoming gardening season.  You then get a weekly share of the farmers harvest typically from May through October.  There are even some winter CSA's now!  CSA's can include more than just produce.  Some farmers have eggs, cheese, flowers, meats, breads, honey, or other food.

Before I started our own edible garden, we joined a CSA.  It was great.  We got lots of super fresh produce, our weekly grocery bill was significantly reduced as our meals were planned around the vegetables, and it was an adventure getting to try new recipes with veggies we had never ate before.   
Eat well, be healthy

A CSA shows you what grows well in your area, too.  You can find out the varieties you like and when they come into season.  You can even save the seeds from the varieties that you want to grow in your future garden if you partner with an organic CSA that grows open pollinated and heirloom vegetables and fruits.
What do the terms GMO, natural, heirloom, organic, hybrid really mean?

To advertise as “organic” you have to be certified.  Many farmers cannot afford to do this.  Some farmers participate in the "Certified Naturally Grown" program.  This is less expensive than USDA organic, but also relies on inspections by other CNG farmers, non-CNG farmers, extension agents, master gardeners and customers instead of USDA certified agents.  If you are interested in produce grown without pesticides, herbicides or other chemicals, ask if the farmer uses organic practices.  Go visit them to see the garden for yourself before you commit.  You can also check out reviews on line.

Some CSA's also will give a discount if you come help on the farm. 

Where to find a CSA?  Again, a great resource is the web site at www.localharvest,org   You can also go to your local farmers market.  Many farmers supplement their income by selling the extra produce they have at the farmers market. 

Many sell out by January so don’t delay if you want to join!

Farmers Market Tips

When you visit a farmers market, you should look for those farmers who are actually growing the produce they are selling.  Some vendors buy in bulk and bring in produce from outside the area.  A few ways to tell if it is truly local is how it is packaged.  Is the produce in crates or boxes you would see at a grocery store delivery?  Are there tags?  Is the produce imperfect like you would expect from a small garden?  Ask the vendor where the farm is at and if everything they are selling was raised there.  

Just like a CSA, there are different growing practices.  Find out if they grow following organic practices.  Ask what kind of fertilizer they use.  If it is the typical chemical based NPK type, then they are not following organic practices.

Buying directly from small farmers in your area let's all the money go directly to them.  With no middle people like the distributor and stores getting their cut, small farmers can make a living.  Plus the produce is picked and sold within a day, making it the freshest you can buy.  The fresher the produce, the more nutritious it is.  As soon as it is picked, it starts to die.  If it is days or even a couple of weeks from the time it is picked until you buy it in the store, it has lost a lot of its life and nutritional value.

You can find farmers markets on www.localharvest,org and there are also smart phone apps you can use to find all the ones in your area.  A google search is also a good source.  Many have facebook pages that you can follow how things are growing on the farm.

Buying locally is good for your pocketbook, your tastebuds, and local economy.

Time to start indoor seeds-seed starting calendar

Hydroponic seed starting

Saturday, January 23, 2021

It may seem like spring is a long way away this time of year.  Luckily for us gardeners, we get to start spring early!  End of January into February is prime seed starting time indoors.  I have outlined by month the plant seeds to start indoors between now and April for our Zone 7 garden.  It is wonderful to see the little green sprouts shooting up with promise of a bountiful gardening season right around the corner!  Our daffodils are up with flower buds.  It won't be long now......

Many big box stores begin getting in their seeds as soon as the end of December these days.  The variety available in big box stores continues to expand as more and more of us are growing our own food.  If you are wanting something unique, try on line seed companies. Some of my favorites with a good selection of unusual, organic and heirloom vegetables, garden fruits and herbs-Abundant Life Seeds, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, High Mowing Seeds, Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Renee’s Garden, Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Company, Seeds from Italy, Botanical Interest.  

Demand for seeds is huge right now.  Many are selling out of some varieties and the wait to get seeds can be as along as 3 weeks for others.  Order early to be sure to have them in hand when you want to get them started.

Using indoor seed starting is a great way to accelerate your harvest by up to two months.  Seed packets tell you how far in advance of your last frost date to start your seeds indoors or when to plant outdoors for "direct sowing" in the garden.  Just look on the back. Here is a web page to look up your last frost date: Frost date look up

January and February are cold season crops seed starting time.  Cold season crops include your greens, broccoli, cabbage, strawberries and peas.  What is a four season garden?   For more on cool season crops for your spring edible garden, see Spring edible garden

March and April is the time for warm season veggie and herbs to get their indoor start.  Summer veggies include beans, tomatoes, beans, basil, eggplant, peppers and squash.  For more on your summer edible garden, see A summer edible garden

Here is when to start seeds indoors for your edible garden.

10-12 weeks prior (end Jan/beginning of Feb in our Zone 7 garden)

Artichokes

Arugula

Bay

Broccoli

Cabbage

Catnip

Celery

Chives

Edamame

Endive 

Escarole

Fennel

Fenu

Horseradish

Leek, if starting from seed

Lettuce

Mache

Mint

Mizuna

Onions, if starting from seed

Parsley

Peas

Rhubarb

Shallots, if starting from seed

Strawberries

Summer savory

Sorrel

8-10 weeks prior (mid-February in our Zone 7 garden)

Bee balm

Celeriac

Eggplant

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lavender

Lovage

Marjoram

Mustard

Oregano

Rosemary

Scallions, if starting from seed

Spinach

Thyme

Turnips

4-6 weeks prior to last frost (March in our garden)

Artichokes

Broccoli

Chamomile

Chard

Cilantro

Comfrey

Fennel

Lemon verbena

Okra

Peppers

Raddichio

Sage

Summer squash

Tarragon

Tomatoes

April

Basil

Beans

Cucumber

Melon

Winter squash

Stevia

You can find more crops seed starting times in this blog  Indoor sowing/outdoor planting dates

Another trick is to do succession seed starting.  For continuous harvests of veggies like broccoli, spinach and lettuce, start new seedlings every 3 weeks and plant out every three weeks in the garden.  For the early seedlings, use varieties that are described as cold hardy.  When you get to April, start seedlings that are heat tolerant.  Heat tolerant varieties will resist bolting and bitterness at the first sign of summer.  Get the most from your space-plant intensively!

You can also start perennial flowers and veggies indoors as well.  For any plant, look at the seed packet for when to plant outdoors according to your frost date.  Then back up the time from there on when to start indoors.  Typical seed starting is 6-8 weeks prior to the plant out date.  For more on perennial fruits and veggie gardens, Perennial veggies in the Midwest garden

For tips on seed starting: 

Indoor seed starting tips

Ideal soil temperatures for starting your seeds

Make your own peat pots

How much to plant?

Trying to decide what to plant for this year's garden?  Here are some garden ideas:

Easy kitchen garden

A French vegetable garden you can grow in a small ...

Start a kitchen herb garden!

Pizza garden for the kids

Heirloom Sicilian kitchen garden

Mediterranean diet garden

Colonial Vegetable Garden

Veggies for small spaces

Fruit for small spaces

The First Victory Gardens

Don't be worried about the work of putting in an edible garden.  You can simply grow veggies right along with your flowers in the ground or pots!  Make edible gardening easy

Mediterranean diet-yummy, healthy and easy to grow anywhere

Garden on Amalfi coast in Italy, overlooking the sea

Sunday, January 17, 2021

The Mediterranean diet is super healthy.  It comes out number one year after year as the best way to eat for health and a healthy weight.  It is also yummy and easy to grow.  You can grow a Mediterranean diet garden in your own small space.  Eating fresh from the garden is convenient, has the highest nutrition and saves money.  I have found that having a garden makes me plan our meals around what is ready to be picked.   

You may think you can't grow what they do in the Mediterranean region here in the Midwest, but you can grow everything they do except for citrus and dates.  Both can be grown in pots and brought indoors in the winter.  I have a kumquat that grows very well indoors or outdoors in warm weather.  It is full of fruits right now in our unheated garage.  

Here are Mediterranean garden plants that you can grow in your own backyard.  A space as small as 6' x 6' can give you all you can eat spring, summer and fall.

Fruits, vegetables and nuts

Artichokes

Asparagus

Beans-chickpeas, fava beans, snap beans, navy beans

Beets and turnips

Carrots

Celery

Cucumber

Dates (needs to winter indoors or heated greenhouse)

Eggplant

Fennel

Figs

Grapes and grape leaves

Citrus (winter indoors or heated greenhouse

Greens-lettuce, radicchio, spinach, arugula and others

Mushrooms

Nectarines

Nuts-almonds, pine nuts, pistachio (Zone 7-10), walnuts

Okra

Olives (varieties available to Zone 7)

Onions, shallots and leeks

Peaches

Peas

Peppers-sweet and spicy

Potatoes

Radishes

Tomatoes

Zucchini and other squash

Herbs

Basil

Bay

Chervil

Chives

Cilantro

Dill

Garlic

Marjoram and Oregano

Mint

Parsley

Rosemary

Saffron (stamen from crocus flower)

Sage

Tarragon

Thyme

Dates and citrus are the only things on this long list that cannot be grown in our zone outdoors year round.  You can get varieties that can be brought into an unheated garage or grown in a heated greenhouse outdoors.  

The key to Mediterranean eating is eating lots of vegetables, to plan around what produce is in season, the liberal use of fresh herbs, cooking with olive oil, and very little red meat or processed foods.

What could a small space Mediterranean garden include?  

Below is a plan for a 6' x 6' space.  Feel free to substitute for the veggies that you prefer to eat.  All below can also be grown in pots as well.

Herbs (1 each)-thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano and flat leaf parsley

3 basil plants (for pesto and season)

2 tomato plants-1 Roma type for sauces and 1 slicer or cherry type for salads

2 sweet pepper plants

1 bush zucchini plant

1 eggplant

8 red onions

8 garlic plants

Arugula, spinach and lettuce scatter sown

For more info on growing herbs and a kitchen garden:

Grow a Sicilian/Italian kitchen garden in as little as 6' x 6'

Small space French kitchen garden

Start a kitchen herb garden!

Easy kitchen garden