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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Chow / Life Time Is Precious, Seeds Are Cheap

Posted by Goldy on Tue, Feb 26, 2013 at 8:48 AM

For the moment, at least, Ive barricaded my pea beds with floating row covers, sticks, tomato cages, and other debris, in order to keep squirrels, birds, cats, and that damn dog from digging them up. Once the seedlings are well established, that ceases to be a problem.

Goldy | The Stranger
For the moment at least, I've barricaded my pea beds with floating row covers, sticks, tomato cages, and other debris, in order to keep squirrels, birds, cats, and that damn dog from digging them up. Once the seedlings are well established, that ceases to be a problem.

"Plant peas on Presidents' Day," that's what they say around here, advice I've been following with good results for more than a decade. Though due to a brief vacation, I didn't manage to get my peas in the ground until this Sunday, along with a half a bed of lettuce and arugula seeds.

Chances are a lot of these seeds won't make it. But time is precious and seeds are cheap, so weather permitting I'll just fill in the gaps in a couple weeks, both enhancing and extending the harvest. I can always buy more seeds, but February only comes once a year.

FYI, it's actually been a relatively dry winter by Seattle standards, leaving the soil light and workable with few large clumps. So now is the perfect time to turn over your beds and mix in a few inches of compost.

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Comments (10) RSS

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Lately spring has come so late my presidents day peas have rotted in the ground, use a greenhouse like device.

Posted by pdonahue on February 26, 2013 at 8:57 AM

What's the plastic for? Weed barrier (I doubt it, but I've seen it used that way) or greenhouse?

Posted by Matt from Denver on February 26, 2013 at 9:11 AM

@2 Those are floating row covers. Kind of like a thin, porous, Tyvek material that lets light, air, and water through, but insects and other small pests out.

But in my garden they mostly serve to warm the soil a few degrees underneath, so as to speed up germination and protect young seedlings from cold night time temperatures. I remove them once the seedling are a couple inches tall.

Posted by Goldy on February 26, 2013 at 9:22 AM

Very useful information. Thanks.

Posted by Gurldoggie

on February 26, 2013 at 9:30 AM

Thanks.

Posted by Matt from Denver on February 26, 2013 at 9:31 AM

@3 Does hay do the same thing? Or does it rot the baby plants? I suppose it's too messy to compost hay.

Posted by Pope Peabrain on February 26, 2013 at 9:56 AM

@6 Floating row covers are light enough that seedlings will lift them as they grow, while acting as a sort of mini greenhouse. So not really the same as hay.

Posted by Goldy on February 26, 2013 at 10:12 AM

I have faith in your seeds Goldy, I will pray for them.

Posted by Brandon J. on February 26, 2013 at 10:34 AM

Chances are a lot of these seeds won't make it.
But time is precious and seeds are cheap,
so weather permitting
I'll just fill in the gaps in a couple weeks,
both enhancing and extending:
the harvest.

I can always buy more seeds,
but February
only comes once a year.

this is how i read it. kind of like a poem. good luck with the garden.

Posted by grace on February 26, 2013 at 11:43 AM

I have always heard to plant peas on valentines day, but close enough, in fact I kinda like presidents day more cause it starts with P. Peas are pretty tough and can take a freeze or even go into frozen soil, Replant every two weeks to stagger harvest and fill the gaps. The row cover is a good idea for pest though. Turning beds now is a little bit behind, they should have been turned and limed in fall.

My personal favorites are
Cascadia snap peas
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1…

and

Oregon Sugar Pod II snow peas
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/1…

Both are enation and powdery mildew resistant.

Posted by Cascadian Bacon on February 26, 2013 at 4:51 PM