Reader urges - "take a chance and plant!!"

Principles of good gardening (like my 3 keys) are fundamental truths that apply to almost every location across a wide range of the earth’s surface.

When it comes to facts and figures about what will grow, when it will grow, and how it will grow, it’s impossible to state anything as being 100% true all the time. Too many variables.

The best we can do is generalize.

Common Reasons Gardeners Don’t Plant

Gardeners often fail to plant for various reasons. Some of the most common (although there are many more) are:

It’s too cold.
It’s too late.
It’s too dry.
It’s too wet.
It’s too early.
It didn’t do well for me last year.

None of those reasons mean that you can’t plant. Often there are ways to work around those disadvantages. (Many of them are covered in the almost 800 posts on TMG.) Not to mention that an unexpected change in the weather can make a huge difference.

One Thing is Certain

But there is one thing that we can be absolutely sure of. And that is if we don’t plant that seed, it won’t produce anything.

A Reader Reinforces the Point

After the last post was sent out, Susan sent an email to me addressing the topic mentioned above. As is often the case, sometimes readers make a point better than I can — or at least confirm and reinforce a point I’ve made many times on TMG. Such was the case with her recent communication.

She writes:

“I had intended to plant a bit more kale 2-3 weeks after I planted the first bed. However, I didn’t get the second round planted for more like 4-5 weeks later.

“The seed sprouted and grew to 1 1/2-2” tall and then stopped.I thought, oh, well.If it can survive the winter, maybe it will grow in the spring.All three of these rows (shown in the picture below) were planted at the same time even though the growth is different.

Susan’s kale

“Well, with the past few days of warmer weather, it has started growing. Will see how high it is by this weekend with the warmer days and nights this week.

“Please continue to get the word out to take a chance and plant!! As you have said in previous posts, if you don’t plant, you know you won’t get anything. I think of that every time I look at this bed. I would have never guessed when I planted this seed that the first week in November would have days in the 60s and nights in the 50s!!!!!”

Practicing What I Recommend

Loosing the First Planting of Cabbage

My first planting of cabbage was right on time. Then I transplanted to the garden and lost it all.

It was late when I finally got to the second planting.

Seed for each variety was planted into a little 6 inch circle in the garden bed rather than a container. (You’ll recall I wrote about this in the letter to subscribers on October 8th.) Whatever came up I’d transplant where I wanted it. Some came up. Some didn’t.

I transplanted the strongest leaving the remaining ones in the circle to continue growing just in case I lost any of the others.

The Copenhagen Market Seedlings look great except for one that a slug damaged. The Early Jersey seedlings are about half the size. But from what I’ve experienced with Early Jersey that’s normal for that variety.

Chinese cabbage grows more quickly. I’m trying to resist harvesting any leaves until it gets as big as possible before the cold sets in. I anticipate the other two varieties making it through the winter and producing some delicious heads in the spring.

Copenhagen Market seedlings are to the left. Chinese cabbage to the right.

Losing Almost All of the First Planting of Lettuce

The lettuce at the top of the picture below are all that remained of my first planting. It’s a lot bigger than it looks and is giving me enough lettuce to enjoy daily.

The next-in-size plants are from my second planting. The smallest plants to the left are from the third planting.

I have another planting still in the container. I’ll transplant some time this month.