Mid-Coast Maine – Planting Zone 6a – Early January
Last night I pulled out my bin of seeds for this year’s vegetable garden and set the onions, leeks and artichokes aside.
A nice little snow storm is in the forecast for tomorrow so I think I’ll wait until then to hook up the grow lights in the basement and get the seeds planted.
Now that we have a little more furniture in the house than we did last time this year, I won’t be setting up the long folding table in the family room and filling it with plant starts this year {and my husband is pretty happy about that}.
I’ll still utilize the windowsills in the family room though because seriously… there is SO MUCH natural light, that it would seem like a total waste not to put it to good use.
Last year I started the onions in February and wished I had planted them a little sooner, so I thought I’d start them in January this year and hope that the onions will be ready by the time the tomatoes and peppers are at their peak.
Home canned tomato sauce and salsa are high on my must can list this summer. And if I get enough jalapenos, I think I’ll try and can some of those too.
I think I’ll also make some room in the refrigerator and start my lavender seeds tomorrow as well. While lavender is easy to grow from seed, it’s sort of a long process.
Have the seed catalogs started to arrive at your house yet?
I thought this little infographic from Hudson Valley Seed Company was pretty clever.
Apparently they sell not only their spring planting guide, but a fall one as well as fine art posters. They’re so nice, I might have to get them to hang on my wall.
I have a feeling this is going to be a really fun summer in the garden here at our place. With all the major outside projects done already. The kitchen garden, fence, walkway, most of the painting. I’m hoping we’ll be able to work at a more relaxed pace this year.
And also, I’m excited about all the new seed varieties I plan on trying, dried beans included.
How about YOU? Have you started to think about this year’s garden yet? Any big plans? Anyone trying anything new they’re excited about? Curious minds want to know.
Have a good one,
~Mavis
Mary says
I have 6 squash left so it is time to order seeds again!
Jamie says
I’m actually going to try sending my runner beans up my okra this year so squeeze out a little more crop. My okra gets so tall year every I have to take a ladder out to harvest! Zone 7b in Tennessee.
Linda says
We grow Lazy Housewife runner beans each year. They are delicious both green and dried. They are prolific producers. I have cattle panel arches between beds and plant 3 beans on each side for a total of 12 plants. Three summers ago I canned 27 qts of green beans and still had enough of dried beans for 7 qts canned. I get the seeds from Annies Heirloom Seed Co.
I start my onions in January Mavis For anyone interested, there are youtube videos produced by a woman in Idaho on Growing Killer Onions. Very informative.
Wynne says
Wow! That is a bean I would like to grow. I just ordered some. I only have rebar panels though–cattle panels don’t fit in my sedan–so hopefully it will all work out.
My exciting new plantings this year are: retrying failed ginger with better instructions, and some new peppers and tomatoes in my quest for our ideal varieties. I’m also pretty sure I want to try rutabaga for the fall.
Carla M Edwards says
Thanks for the YouTube onion video.
Carla
carrie says
I decided I need to get more serious about the garden this year and try and grow more. I’m not sure where to start. Ive moatly given the garden to my boys to do the last 2 years. We fet lots of snap peas, rhubarb, Raspberries and beans. Carrots havent been super successful (they always pull to eat them when they are small). My radishes were over 2 feet tall I think she to the heat? It was weird, no real veg on the end. They did get a good crop of potatoes off some starts they made when I found a sprouting in in the cupboard. Our zucchini was small ams rotted on the ends. And my tomatoes never ripen or end up all splitting before they do.
I have a friend with an amazing garden, so I am hoping to enlist her help this year.
We are from your old hometown in Washington. I’ve seen what you grow so I know its possible, just not sure what goes wrong.
as says
I had to look it up but I ‘m in zone 10A in SouthWest Florida. About a month ago my manager brought in extra starter tomato plants. We put them in a pot on the side of our driveway with a trellis, they are all producing fruit now. In two other large pots where we usually have flowers, we pulled the flowers for Winter and planted green beans. They’re about 3-4 inches tall right now and very happy. They’re a bush bean variety. I had a few more packets of different bean seeds and had my son plant them under our seagrape tree in the side year near the fence. It gets just enough sun to do well there and is rich with dirt. Hoping they come up as well. Considering getting some more seeds in the ground, but would need to do it soon. Here traditional crops tend to do better from Fall to Spring, then it gets too hot to grow anything in Summer unless it’s native. I do want to try mouse melons in the future as a fence climber in back. We’ll see!! =)
Margo says
My hubby is making me an 8×4 ft raised bed. This will be the 7th raised bed (the others are 4x4ft) and I also use grow boxes. Just got my new seeds the other day and am going to start some peas and snow peas this week outside. (Zone 10a). We have cool weather (60’s to 70) and lots of sunshine right now, perfect for playing in the garden. Planning a three sisters garden this summer in one of the raised beds.
suzanne says
I’m trying the red welsh onion this year as well. Along with the wallas and spring onions.
I’d like to try celeriac this year and up my rutabaga game. I’ve ordered 4 extra metal beds from Costco so I’ll get them assembled on the next warmish day and aligned up nicely with my existing beds. They gotta look good;-). The deer discovered my patch of tomatoes hidden behind the greenhouse last year so I need to move them and all the greens behind the fence and into the new beds.
I love Hudson valleys infographic.
Sarah says
As an Aussie myself (though I live in Seattle now), what made you choose the Australian onion seeds?
Mavis Butterfield says
I wanted to try a new variety this year and they had good reviews. I’m planning on using these for canning so I hope they do well.
Kippy says
Waiting for the Botanic Interest catalog. The seeds I bought last spring all did well. This will be the second year using 42 gallon metal troughs for the veg planting
Cindy Miller says
Mavis, Is your basement heated or do you use a space heater?
Mavis Butterfield says
It’s hearted but we keep it at 45 degrees.
Robin Martin says
I grew the Cherokee trail of tears bean 2 years ago. They did so good!!
I got a gallon bag full of dried beans out of just a couple of short rows of plants.
Mavis Butterfield says
That’s good to know!! Thanks Robin.
Julia Park Tracey says
I finally faced the fact that all my seeds were ancient. I threw them all away and ordered new fresh seeds. I have to admit I’m curious about dried beans. Maybe I’ll plant those trail of Tears beans. They sound good.
Diana says
Last year my garlic was so crappy. I had puny little bulbs, if anything grew at all. I set them all aside and and then planted them in my back porch railing planters in mid December and all 132(!) of them are up, lol. Don’t know how big or good they’ll be but we’ll see.
Planted my onion seeds about 4 days ago and hoping to see them up soon. Since I’m in GA, the best ones for me are short day – so I put in 3 from Hoss Tools – Plethora, Savannah Sweet and Texas Early White.
I’ve been putting together a spreadsheet showing what I’ll grow and how (in ground vs large galvanized tubs vs 3 gallon nursery pots) and when they need to be planted, how many days til harvest, etc. Since the city ‘cleaned out’ the front yard between the sidewalk and the street (down to bare dirt), I’ve decided to put it to good use. Pumpkins, watermelon, squash, cantaloupes, etc. will be planted there. I’m thinking of sticking corn in between, lol.
This year will be really different for me because of my purchase of a freeze dryer. So far I’ve powdered about 2 gallons of turkey bone broth (down to 2 qts) and 2lbs of ground turkey. Being single means have extra of everything. Now, instead of canning (or it going bad), I can freeze dry it and not have NEARLY the muss and fuss. Fresh plums and peaches are only a few months away! YAHOO!
Once you get your plan put together, do tell! Would love to see what’s going on.
Dee Patterson says
I’m growing flowers galore, with the idea of giving them away to cheer everyone up after such a tough couple of years.
Mostly Rembrandt tulips, but if they come up snowdrops , ixia and gladiolus.
Devon, England.
Heidi P says
I’ve decided with a somewhat heavy heart to not do a big garden this coming summer. We might be moving in the next 6ish months and so I don’t want to put a lot of effort into my large garden and need to leave it behind. I have a few raised bed kits that I will put up in a sunny spot near our home to grow a few of the veggies we love the most. Ahhhh…
Jules says
I made my wish list just this morning! New this year are red and black beans. I’m hoping they’ll grow well and I can preserve them so I won’t be buying cans of beans. My husband has talked about growing rice in our bottom ground that is very wet. Not sure if we’ll do that this year or next