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Showing 31 - 60 of 20075 comments
Cabbage 17 Feb, Shellie Smith (USA - Zone 8b climate)
Is it to cold to start planting seeds for greens,peppers and tomatoes. Temperature is 37 degree ?
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Cabbage 10 Mar, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 8a Mild Temperate climate)
Are you direct sowing (into the garden), or are you sowing indoors in trays? I'll give you the germination temperatures. Germination temperatures vary from plant to plant (even among say tomatoes - the various varieties have different germination temperatures). These are OPTIMAL germination temperatures-- so higher or lower can work, but germination will not be as consistent or Good in non-optimal temps. The germination temperature must be sustained (over several days or more) -- this is the plant's indicator (sustained warm temperature), that spring/summer is here -- and it is time to wake up and get growing. If the germination temperatures are not met, the seeds will remain dormant (most of them), waiting for their ideal growing conditions to occur. Remember - varieties make a difference so I'm giving you GENERAL temperatures. PEPPERS: Soil temperature needs to be at least 75-85 degrees F (24-27 c) for good germination. Peppers won’t germinate in cold soil– with the higher end temps germination may be in 5 days, or may take up to 20 days in the lower temps. Don’t overwater seeds or they may rot. peppers don't like to be overly wet. Your max germination temp is 95F (35c) for peppers. TOMATO : optimum germination temps are : 65-85F (24-30c) days to germinate varies a lot by variety ... so maybe 1- 2 weeks ? Max temp is 95f (35c). Tomato seeds have been know to germinate at temp as low as 40f (4c) -- but expect germination to take a month or more and your germination rate (% of seeds that germinate) will probably be very low. GREENS: way to varied to give an answer -- example: KALE has an optimum germination temp of 65F (18c) and range of 45°F - 85°F (7-30c), while SWISS CHARD's optimum germination is 80°F (27c) with a range of 40°F - 95°F (4-32c). Days to germination vary based on variety and temp. I generally recommend starting peppers and tomatoes indoors -- and with greens it depends on the green -- kale and chard are both tough, and both have a very wide temp range for germination so outdoors is fine. You also have to consider insects... larger plants have a better chance (in general) of survival if you experience pest problems. OF course a lot depends on how long your growing season is-- in a really long and hot growing season, starting tomato seeds outdoors is no problem, in a shorter cooler growing season the optimum germination temps may never be met (sustained) so starting indoors is pretty much a given.
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Cabbage 17 Feb, (USA - Zone 6a climate)
Cabbage does not grow well with cucumber.
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Carrot 17 Feb, Lexi (USA - Zone 6a climate)
Same as on the beetroot page -- I would recommend editing the "avoid" section to not include beets. Carrots and beets grow well together!
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Beetroot (also Beets) 17 Feb, Lexi (USA - Zone 6a climate)
Just wanted to share a correction -- beets and carrots grow great together! I would not say to avoid planting them close.
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Ginger 16 Feb, Jillian (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
How deep a pot or structure can I plant ginger. Also I freeze my ginger whole and grate it frozen for recipes.
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Carrot 16 Feb, Sonya (USA - Zone 11a climate)
This guide says carrots are not recommended in zone 11a. But I've grown Nantes carrots many times! Give it a try!
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 15 Feb, Nancy McAlary (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I have been growing corn for several years, in small blocks in my suburban garden plot (6 to 12 stems at time). I stagger the planting to have a more continuous supply. In order to get full cobs (no gaps), corn, which is movement/wind pollinated, needs to have pollen from the top fall onto the lower cobs (with their silks showing). All I do is determine whether the pollen is ripe by tapping the top stem. They usually release pollen twice a day, in morning and then later in the day. If I see a small cloud of pollen falling, I break a few pieces of the top male flower spike and place them across the silks. If you have a big plot of corn they should self-pollinate easily and don't need this done, if you have smaller plots like me, it will always guarantee full cobs.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 15 Mar, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
I read that corn pollinates for 5 days. So after about 2-3 days I wrap my hand around the bottom of the tassel and run my hand upwards. The pollen falls down onto the silks. Pick 21 days approx after pollination
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Leeks 09 Feb, Tracy (USA - Zone 6a climate)
Young shoots of a plant are covered to exclude light to prevent photosynthesis and the production of chlorophyll, and thus remain pale in color. Different methods used include covering with soil (hilling or earthing up) or with solid materials such as board or terracotta pots, or growing the crop indoors in darkened conditions. Refer to — blanch a plant. I have used the leaves such as on cauliflower or dirt or paper from a shopping bag to cover the area.
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Garlic 09 Feb, Ashlyn (USA - Zone 9b climate)
So much garlic is grown in central California, zone 9, I'm so surprised it isn't recommended here! I'm going to give it a shot and see how it goes
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Cucumber 08 Feb, Sello Mokhethi (South Africa - Dry summer sub-tropical climate)
Why do I see cucumber plant provided support like tomato plant.stand like structure preventing them to lay on the soil?
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Potato 08 Feb, Claus Otto (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I am looking for a handbook for beginners,with illustrations and advise,how to plant and grow potatoes in south africa
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Potato 17 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6b Temperate Warm Summer climate)
The handbook-which I provided the location to in my prior reply is not very beginner'ish but it is comprehensive covering issues you may never encounter- but you do need the reference material. I have a few thoughts to add. 1. Hilling up while the plant is growing-if you are covering leaves I find this fundamentally wrong. Leaves are specialized and designed to collect light, they are not roots. So I opt to plant my seed potatoes deep enough on day one- however I tend to have the luxury of very well airated, light soil. This means the seed potato has a steady air supply and can sense the heat from the sun even at deeper depths 2. Your seedpotatoes need all their potassium Immediately. Potatoes strangely take up all their potassium that they need really early. -and don't uptake more. If there is not enough potassium in the very early stages your potatoes might have hollow heart (looks like hollow rotting middles). Late application of potassium tends to be useless 3. Potatoes seem to respond really well to the addition of microryzal fungi - in my area we source that under pine trees in a forest- we just take some forest floor duff with a dust pan and add to the potatoe planting soil. To sum up - your seed Potatoes should be about the size of chicken eggs (if larger cut up ensuring an eye on each piece and allow a few days to heal/scab up before planting). You need to chit them(make them sprout-place in dark so they sprout). Plant in soil with Compost, a sorce of potassium and microryzal fungi. If for some reason you cannot source any compost/pottasium/microryzal fungi -plant anyhow potatoes are tough -there is still a good chance they will be Okay -depends on the condition of you soil. In my area I can water deeply once per week. Harvest when about half the leaves have fallen over as if to die. If you harvest sooner you may be compromising on size-because as long as those leaves can collect light they can store the energy in the tubers. Good luck - it is so much easier than it sounds- and all those diseases in the handbook are rare and if the plants are strong (well fed) they can manage just fine, potaoes are pretty tough root crop. In other words- you can grow potatoe.
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Potato 16 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
This is a potato handbook from Kenya -- it might be a good place to start: https://npck.org/Books/PotatoProductionHandbook2019(002).pdf
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Potato 16 Feb, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
This is a potato handbook from Kenya -- it might be a good place to start: https://npck.org/Books/PotatoProductionHandbook2019(002).pdf
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Marrow 05 Feb, Keith (New Zealand - temperate climate)
Where can I buy Marrow seeds please. I live in CHCH. Best regards. Keith.
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Marrow 06 Feb, Liz (New Zealand - sub-tropical climate)
You can use the seeds of courgettes to produce marrows, just leave them to grow larger. Feed well.
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Tomato 04 Feb, (USA - Zone 8a climate)
If I’m in zone 8a, in an high rise with an outdoor patio. After taking cuttings of my cherry tomato plant prior to 1st frost, and putting cuttings in water to grow roots indoors, how long do I keep cuttings in water? Do I plant cuttings into small indoor pots prior to planting in larger outdoor pots for final growth, or keep them in water inside until final outdoor pot planting season?
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French tarragon 03 Feb, (USA - Zone 5a climate)
I live in Hawaii and would like to raisee a pot of French Taragon. Do you have experience with this climate. Please comment freely either way I love it to marinate chicken with taragon and raspberry vinaigrette for grilling on the barby.
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French tarragon 06 Feb, Wendy (USA - Zone 5b climate)
Hi, I have grown French tarragon in California and now in Colorado and have had wonderful luck with it in both states!!! It reproduces nicely. You might want to plant it in a pot if you don't want it spreading to a very large area! DO get a "plant" to start it. French tarragon cannot be started from seed, and any seed you get will most likely be "Russian or Mexican" tarragon, and is not the same as French tarragon!!!! Mine dies back in the winter here in Colorado, but comes back with a vengeance in the spring. I hope you have great luck growing it!!!!
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Mustard greens (also gai choy) 03 Feb, Leon (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)
I want to plant mustard
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Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) 02 Feb, Anonymous (New Zealand - temperate climate)
In hindi it’s called choraiya.
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 01 Feb, Emeline Donoso-Brady (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
The temperature here in Lithgow is from 14-26 till April, can I sow corn now? Thanks Emeline
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Sweet corn (also corn,maize) 15 Mar, (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Too late by the guide here.
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Sweet Potato (also Kumara) 31 Jan, Kieron McPherson (Australia - tropical climate)
Hello there in 2023 I bought 2 sweet potato pots from bunnings and we planted in our avocado orchard and just let it run wild for a few months, when it came time to harvest I got 100kg of sweet potatoes my question is why do you say- They will go for miles and you will get no tubers. Was I just lucky or is there more to it than that?
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Horseradish 31 Jan, Lynda Georgeson (Australia - temperate climate)
I live near Toowoomba. Can anyone advise where I can purchase a plant of horseradish to grow?
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Mustard greens (also gai choy) 30 Jan, James McKinney (USA - Zone 9a climate)
I don’t understand in your comment, you statement what plants we should avoid planting next to. What does this mean? Avoid the same row, next row over, how far are we talking about?
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Sunflower 29 Jan, Judy McCollom (USA - Zone 9b climate)
The first time I planted SF seeds it was more like a tall bush with multiple branches, not a single stem. Now I can't remember the variety. Can you please recommend the best multiple branch variety, not a single stem. Thank you.
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Sunflower 06 Feb, Celeste Archer (Australia - temperate climate)
--- correction -- the video is at this location https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8qEhh39scA
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Showing 31 - 60 of 20075 comments
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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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