Is it time to plant peas yet? Only for some of us in Western Washington
There are some gardeners in Western Washington that may have soil ready now for early spring planting of peas.
Most of us will need to wait for a few more weeks before poking sweet pea and garden pea seeds into the soil. Wet weather rots newly planted pea seeds. Gardeners with raised beds or exceptionally well drained soil are the lucky ones that get a jump on the season.
Here are a few more answers on planting seeds:
Q. When can I plant seeds of carrots, radish and lettuce into the soil? The seed pack says to wait until the soil can be worked in the spring. Signed, a new gardener
A. In our wet Western Washington climate, it may be best to wait until April or even May to plant cool season crops such as carrots, lettuce and radish. It all depends on how quickly your soil drains and heats up. A good rule of green thumb is to grab a handful of soil and squeeze it together. If it forms a ball it is too wet. It should fall apart or crumble when you open your hand.
Q. What is the difference between cool season crops and warm season crops? I am thinking about just planting all my vegetable seeds in late May. Will that work? — J.L., Tacoma
A. Warm season crops such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers and squash need warm nights above 45 degrees to germinate and grow. That means mid to late May in our region of Washington. Cool season crops such as peas, leafy greens, onions and radishes grow best when days are below 80 degrees. Many local gardeners do wait until mid May to plant all their veggie seeds with great results. Others like to plant cool season crops as soon as they can in early spring to start harvesting fresh produce.
Q. What is a hoop house? A new neighbor keeps telling me I need one if I want to grow lots of food for my family. — Anonymous
A. It’s a way of protecting new seedlings and the soil from heavy rain is by making hoops over the garden bed, usually with plastic pipes, and covering these hoops with clear plastic that can be removed or rolled back on sunny days. Using some type of protection for plants really does extend the growing and harvesting season by months, so if you don’t have a greenhouse then researching raised beds and hoop houses is a great way to grow more in less space.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.
This story was originally published February 20, 2021 at 5:45 AM.