Organic Gardening For Beginners: Tips To Plan And Grow Your Own Productive Garden

042: Use Your Frost Dates To Build A Planting Calendar

Homegrown Food and Flowers

Welcome back to this episode where I dive into the world of gardening with a seasonal twist. I'm Jessica, and in this episode, we cap off our January garden planning series with some golden nuggets of wisdom to take you from planning to planting.

If you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, this episode is your trusty guide to syncing your garden with the seasons.

We kick things off by deciphering frost dates and growing seasons. I'll show you how to use these dates to create a planting calendar that aligns with your local climate.

Remember, 'planted is better than perfect,' so don't stress about hitting every date precisely. And if you've missed our previous chats, episodes 39 to 41 are there for a quick catch-up, plus a handy downloadable calendar to keep things smooth.

Next, we'll dive into how frost dates inform when to plant your seeds. You'll get practical advice on starting warm-season veggies like tomatoes indoors and why cold-hardy plants like snap peas can go straight into the garden earlier. The goal is to craft a planting schedule that leads to a full garden all season.

Then, we ease into simple gardening strategies. I encourage starting with a few plants after the frost date using local seedlings. This way, you avoid overwhelming yourself with too many details.

I also touch on adapting garden plans, like when I moved mid-season, and share some tips on extending your growing season with methods like low tunnels and row covers.

Happy gardening!

find your frost dates:
Dave's Garden frost dates
Farmer's Almanac frost dates

Here's a great article I wrote that gives you a solid example of planting within your frost dates with cosmos flowers. 

📩 Questions? Email me at jessica@homegrownfoodandflowers.com

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