Comments on: What to plant in February-Zones 7 & 8

By: Dana

Dana — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 12:42:34 +0000

This posted on my Pinterest feed exactly when I was thinking about it! Good timing! I’ve had success with carrots, but I would like to try some others vegetables. Thank you for sharing.

By: Geri Reski

Geri Reski — Wed, 31 Jan 2024 13:12:59 +0000

I am already harvesting radish from my mini greenhouse and a winter lettuce from the big greenhouse. Just finished planting 58 bulb onion seedlings in outdoor bins. I buy seedlings from Dixondale Farms in TX…they arrive in dormant state so no worries that I had to wait almost a full month to plant…the soil was frozen! Am in Pine, AZ—zone 7B.

By: Rick

Rick — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 15:21:19 +0000

In reply to Jeannie. They should still be fine to use in the garden but you do need to get that issue dealt with. Try adding a fan to your set up that blows over your seedlings, that should keep that upper layer of soil dryer and reduce the mold.

By: Jeannie

Jeannie — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 12:39:50 +0000

Hi Rick! I have started some seeds indoors and most have germinated but now I find the soil has what I assume is white mildew growing on top of it. I’m sure I overwatered at some point. My question is, are the seedlings still okay to use in the garden or should they be disposed of? Thanks for any guidance you can give on this!

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 02:13:51 +0000

In reply to Louise G Wesson. Thanks Louise!!

By: Louise G Wesson

Louise G Wesson — Fri, 24 Dec 2021 15:04:49 +0000

Dear Rick,
This is wonderful! I have only this morning found your site; and it is giving me so much that I either had been hunting for unsuccessfully, or else hadn’t even known to think about. In putting your January-February advice to work in my garden notes, I have come to realize that my custom of starting tomatoes around the equinox, peppers some 2 weeks earlier is way out of date–that when our zone changed some 20? years ago from 6 to 7a, I didn’t stop to think that the start date ought to change as well. So, thanks!
I have been gardening for 50 years, grew up with a sizeable organic back yard vegetable garden (western Mass.) in the 50’s–I remember the stinky pile of manure my father had had dumped onto our driveway! Later I grew to love the smell of cattle manure whenever in a cattle shed (Eastern States Exposition annually).
Having retired in January from a twenty year stint as a public school teacher (following a 23-year ‘career’ as housewife and mother) I am free again to be a committed gardener. Last winter was my first successful effort with low hoops; with four 100 sq ft beds under Reemay (shortly to get their winter plastic—–I check the 10-day forecast for this) currently I am monitoring the daily size increase of my purple broccoli and various cabbage cultivars. Turnip, lettuce, bok choys, cauliflower–peas still have blossoms but the pollinators gave up two months ago although I kept the Reemay open during day.
My vegetable garden here in eastern Montgomery Cty PA is a square 55′ on a side; there are tree and small fruits outside that area. I have also embarked on gardening on our small Maine coastal island; a clearing in the woods having been provided by a 2018 storm–that spot is about 2100 sq ft. I set out strawberries (runners from my home garden) in early fall; did various (culture specific) soil preparations for blueberries, asparagus, raspberries, pome, and stone fruits to go in this spring.
FYI–I have found that Penn State Extension does an unimpressive job on soil testing–without even an option for the organic grower, so I now direct all my soil testing, for both Maine and PA gardens, to Univ. of Maine. I actually have my Penn State tests from 30 years ago by way of comparison–more generous with info back then. I get about 4 times the information from Maine at about the same cost as PA.
Again, I am so grateful for the work you have done to create and maintain this site.
Yours most sincerely,
Louise Wesson

By: Elizabeth

Elizabeth — Mon, 09 Mar 2020 12:08:33 +0000

In reply to Rick. This was so helpful for me. Thanks a bunch! I know my zone now... it's 8a. Prayerfully this year will be an exciting year for me and my garden outside. Last year was so very hot and muggy that I got nothing. However, reading and studying about how to water deeply, I plan on doing much better this year Blessings to you and your family.

By: Rick

Rick — Thu, 05 Mar 2020 14:52:19 +0000

In reply to Gloria crespin.

Gloria,
The maps are sometimes a bit hard to read. Go to this article and there is a link out to the USDA site. On that site you can put your zip code in and it will narrow it down for you.
https://ourstoneyacres.com/what-is-my-garden-zone

By: Gloria crespin

Gloria crespin — Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:34:07 +0000

Hello there,I was wondering if you could tell me what zone I am in. I looked in map says zone 7 but other maps say different. I live in Woodbridge VA.

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 08 Feb 2020 16:53:29 +0000

In reply to Laura Lundgren. I live in zone 6. Here's a link to an article I wrote that will help you find yours. https://ourstoneyacres.com/what-is-my-garden-zone