FIMBY: When to plant? Consider staggering your transplants

Note: This is the second in our weekly series devoted to Food in My Back Yard (FIMBY).

“When can I plant?” That’s the most common question from new gardeners when they first get their plot in our community garden.

It depends – not only on what you plan to plant but when you want to harvest.

Too often, enthusiastic newbies (and some more experienced gardeners) plant their entire summer garden all at once with everything in the ground on the same day. Then, they’re overwhelmed when the majority of plants actually produce – with ripe veggies ready to pick all at the same time.

(Did you really think you were going to eat that much zucchini?)

It’s not just summer crops; right now in our community garden, heads of cabbage are growing bigger by the dozens. Since transplants come in six-packs, some folks planted 12 or 18 heads. That’s a lot of coleslaw!

When planning a garden, think about what you and your family realistically eat, including how often. Want a salad every night? Plant lots of lettuce and greens. But to keep those salads coming, stagger planting dates.

Seed packets and plant labels list how many days it will take that crop to reach harvest stage. This is valuable information; not all veggies (even of the same species) mature at the same rate.

Then, plan for “succession planting.” Instead of everything going into the ground at once, succession planting allows for a steady flow of transplants (or seeds) coming into the garden and mature veggies going out. By staggering planting dates, harvest can be staggered, too, and your garden can provide a more consistent (and consumable) bounty.

Get a calendar and do the math. If it takes 45 to 60 days for a head of loose-leaf lettuce to mature, plant a six-pack of seedlings every three weeks now through April. That’s 30 heads of lettuce before the end of June. (OK, you’ve really got to LOVE salad to plant that much.)

When planning, always consider seasonal temperatures. Some crops prefer cool weather, others need it hot. For example, lettuce turns bitter and bolts (goes to flower) in summer heat; switch to planting heat-resistant greens such as chard during those warmer months.

Remember: Summer veggies need summer heat. Just because you may see tomato seedlings in the nursery now doesn’t mean it’s time to plant them. Warm-season favorites such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans and squash need warm soil (above 55 degrees) to grow; otherwise, those transplants will just sit there and sulk (if they survive at all).

Another reminder: DO NOT plant what you won’t eat. That’s a waste of time, water, space and money. If nobody in your family really likes kale, skip the dino kale seedlings no matter how cute the name.

Think about your own schedule, too. Are you going on a month-long vacation in July? Don’t plant tomatoes in early May; they’ll be hitting their peak when you’re out of town.