2014 Spring Planting

Here in Zone 8, spring planting begins the last week of March. That’s only a week away!! My seedlings in the grow room got a late start (see Germination Failure), so they won’t be ready to plant outside next week. But that’s okay as I have so many other things to plant. And with working full time, there’s no way I could plant over 750 square feet of garden in one weekend! This year is definitely going to be a staggered planting. As I did for the winter planting, I’ll share with you what I’m planting with links to where you can get the seed.

This year, I got seeds from Jung Seed Company, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, Seed Savers Exchange, My Patriot Supply, Native Seeds/SEARCH, and Pinetree Garden Seeds & Accessories.

Here are the varieties I’ll be planting:

TOMATOES:

Mortgage Lifter (bought plants locally)
Black Krim (looking for plants locally)
Rutgers Heirloom (bought plants locally – first year growing)
Pear (I received free seed from a friend – first year growing)
Wisconsin 55 – slicing tomato, first year growing
Amish Paste
Riesentraube – cherry tomato

SWEET PEPPERS:

Emerald Giant Bell – my main bell pepper
Sweet Yellow Stuffing – first year growing
Red Mini Bell – first year growing
Red Bell (bought plants locally)

CHILI PEPPERS:

Mystery hot – I got seed from a friend that wasn’t what he said it was; but they were wonderfully hot and flavorful. I saved seed last year & I’m growing them again.
Rocoto – I originally got these from Seed Savers, but they are no longer available. Glad I saved my seed last year!
Lemon Drop
Italian Pepperoncini
Cubanelle
Long Red Cayenne – first year growing
Filius Blue – first year growing
Fish
Jalapeno

EGGPLANT:

Black Beauty – bought plants locally
Listada de Gandia

CORN:

Glass Gem popcorn

BEANS:

Black Valentine – snap or dry bean
Beurre De Rocquencourt – wax snap
Dragon Tongue – snap or shelled bean – first year growing
Henderson’s Lima – shelled bean
Dixie Speckled Butterpea – baby lima, shelled bean – first year growing

CUCUMBERS:

Boston Pickling – first year growing
Beit Alpha – Israeli cucumber, first year growing

SUMMER SQUASH:

Tondo Scuro di Piacenza – round zucchini, first year growing
Tromboncino – first year growing

WINTER SQUASH:

White Acorn
Black Futsu
Burpee’s Butterbush – first year growing
Seminole Pumpkin – first year growing

MELONS:

Malali watermelon – red
Cream of Saskatchewan watermelon – white
Golden Midget watermelon – red with yellow rind, first year growing
Early Moonbeam watermelon – yellow, first year growing
Strawberry watermelon – red, first year growing
Cantaloupe – I saved seed from my fruit last year
Tam Dew Honeydew – first year growing
Ice Cream (Green Machine) muskmelon – first year growing
Noir de Carmes melon – first year growing
Tigger melon
Rich Sweetness melon – first year growing

LETTUCE & SPRING GREENS:

I’m planting these around my pepper plants. I had great success last year doing this because the pepper plants offered the lettuce shade from the hot summer sun.

Black Seeded Simpson
Red Romaine
Red Sails
Tom Thumb
Southern Giant Curled Mustard Greens – first year growing
Batavian Full Heart Escarole – purchased seed locally by Burpee

SUMMER GREENS:

Ruby Red Swiss Chard – first year growing
Fordhook Swiss Chard
Magenta Magic Orach – first year growing
Perpetual Spinach – first year growing
Green Purslane – first year growing
Golden Purslane – first year growing

RADISHES:

I’m planting them around my squash and cucumbers to help keep the squash bugs away – and give me radishes for my spring salads.

Watermelon – my favorite radishes!
Purple Plum
Beer – first year growing

MISCELLANEOUS:

Schronce’s Deep Black Peanuts – first year growing, going to try them in 5-gallon buckets this year
Buckwheat – first year growing (going to grow along my property line

HERBS: