Seed Starting- Outdoors

Some seeds are best planted directly into the garden.  Plant cool-season crops in Winter and very early Spring.  We've had a mild Winter so this February & March we planted:

1. Garlic (from sets)
2. Bulb Onions (from seeds and sets)
3. Green Onions (White Bunching Onion)
4. Leeks
5. Turnips
6. Peas
7. Beets
8. Bok Choy
9. Kohl rabi
10. Radishes
11. Lettuce

Garlic

Our local garden center has the sets available in the Fall, but we didn't get around to purchasing any until January.  Luckily they had some left and they were on sale! We planted 3 different kinds.  Of course, I didn't keep track of what variety they are, but I do know what we got a combination of hardnecks and softnecks.  The hardneck variety will produce a flower stem in the middle of the bulb and will not store as long as the softnecks.  The hardneck we got will also mature earlier and be hotter.

Garlic is very cold tolerant and can be planted in the Fall for an early Summer harvest.   Last year, we didn't plant any until March and they were ready in late August.  

Bulb Onions

Onions can be purchased as seeds or sets (little bulbs or bunches of starts).  We have tried all methods.  The first year we did seeds.  We didn't get them started until the middle of Spring and only got small onions.  This year we're trying seeds again.  We started some in the house for transplanting and started some directly outside in early February.  The ones we put directly outside are doing just as well as the ones we transplanted.  We're hoping that we put them out early enough for them to produce good sized bulbs.

Last year, we tried both types of sets.  We bought Yellow Rock and Red onions as little bulbs.  They are available in Fall and Winter.  We planted them in late March last year.  They grew well, but the Red onions bolted (flowered) and so we didn't have many to store.  Once a bulb onion bolts you need to use it right away or the bulb will shrink as the energy is put into flowering (even if you try to cut the flower off.)  The Yellow Onions did great and we were able to store enough to last all Fall and into January.

The onion sets that come as bunches are available in March and sometimes April.  We grew Walla Walla Sweets this way last year.  They turned out awesome!  The ones we planted in very fertile soil grew huge bulbs.  The onions we planted in a less fertile area grew small bulbs.  Onions want plenty of Nitrogen to grow large green tops.  The energy in the tops will then feed the bulbs.

The year we planted more Walla Walla Sweets this way as well as from seed.

Green Onions

We've grown White Bunching Onions and Egyptian Walking Onions.  They last all Winter!  

We grow the White Bunching Onions from seed and they are perennial.  The second year they'll flower and if you let them go, they'll product seeds for you to collect or you can let them drop into the bed and replant themselves.  

The Egyptian Walking Onions we received from a friend.  They grow little bulblets on their tops that fall over and plant themselves.  You can eat the greens or use the little bulbs for cooking.

Leeks

I'm trying Leeks for the first time this year.  

Turnips

We grew turnips for the first time this past Fall.  They were easy and delicious. 

Peas

We've grown peas with great success the past few years.  We were excited to get an early jump on the season, but we've already had to replant three times. The peas kept disappearing.  We thought it was the birds, so we put wire over them.  Then we tried plastic over them.  Then we tried them in pots outside.  Then we noticed the burrowing.  IT WAS MICE!!!   We placed a trap with peanut butter on it in the bed.  We put a black plastic pot over the trap and weighed it down with a brick so the dogs wouldn't get to the trap.  We made a little burrowed path under the edge of the pot to lead the mice to the trap.  It worked.  Terry trapped four of the little buggers.  

We waited a week and replanted the peas.  They're finally starting to come up.

Beets

What is interesting about beets is their funky seeds.  They're actually a seed capsule that contains several seeds.  You'll notice a few plants emerge from each hole.  After they are a couple inches high you'll want to thin them to the strongest one.  Use scissors as to not disturb the roots.  Last year was the first time we grew beets... a Spring crop and a Fall crop.  The Spring crop had problems with leaf miner, the Fall crop didn't.

Bok Choy

A super fast easy crop.  Just try to keep the slugs away.  We use Sluggo which is safe for pets and people.  Also stagger plant, otherwise you'll be overwhelmed.  If you can't keep up with the harvest, let a couple plants go to flower and you can collect the seeds to use next time.

Kohl Rabi

It's related to Brassicas like Broccoli except instead of eating the flower you eat the swollen stem that is round like a baseball.  We slice it and eat it like carrot sticks.  

Radishes

Super, fast and easy.  Radishes are fun to grow because they germinate very quickly.  The key is to plant them in soil that is somewhat poor.  In the past, we've made the mistake of growing them in soil that has high amounts of Nitrogen from Tagro or manure.  It makes for lots of leaves and little radish.    

Lettuce

We tend to grow mesclun mixes and Romaine lettuce.  The Romaine that we planted in the Fall overwintered as well as did mustard greens.  We put some plastic over the lettuce beds in January and February when we seeded to get them to perk up quicker.  We've been harvesting already for a couple months.  

In Tacoma there is no reason not to grow year round.  Even when we're holed up in the house, veggies can be growing along in the garden.

Next Topic:  Growing Potatoes