Spring Planting - Get Ready Now
Do you have your early spring planting schedule completed yet? Getting your early plantings in on time can help increase your early season sales and income.
Many crops benefit from an earlier planting while the weather is still cool, producing taller, stronger stems. Here are some crops that work great as a fall planted hardy annual or "Cool Flower", that can also be planted in early spring, even when light frosts may still be happening.
Of course, make sure any seedlings have been hardened off before planting. No plant wants to go from a toasty warm greenhouse or grow room to temps at or just below freezing.
Varieties to Direct Sow:
Sow in very early spring, a few weeks before your last frost date. Don't forget to keep them watered.
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Bells of Ireland: A high tunnel is best for weather protection. Chill seed in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting. Fresh seed is recommended.
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Larkspur: QIS. Imperial Giant, Cannes. Chill seed in the refrigerator for a few weeks before planting. Fresh seed is recommended.
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Centaurea - Bachelor Buttons: Blue Boy, Mix
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Bupleurum: Green Gold, Graffiti
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Nigella: Cramer’s Plum, Miss Jekyll
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Orlaya: White Lace Flower
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Sunflowers: Yes, you can direct-sow sunflowers early, too.
Varieties to grow from plugs:
Harden off plugs/seedlings and protect with row cover if hard frost is expected. Keep them watered!
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Campanula: Champion and Campana series
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Delphinium: Magic Fountain, Aurora, Guardian
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Feverfew (Matricaria): Tetra White, Vegmo series
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Foxglove (Digitalis): Foxy, Dalmatian, Camelot, Arctic Fox
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Snapdragon: Chantilly, Madame Butterfly, Opus, Rocket, Potomac (Use groups 2,3,or 4)
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Sweet William: Sweet and Amazon Series
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Rudbeckia hirta: Indian Summer and Prairie Sun.
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