There is a time to plant your garden and all in the timing for the seeds to germinate. It isn't doing it all at once.

image from treedrcom.au

image from ar.inspriedpencil.com 

There is a time to plant your garden and all in the timing for the seeds to germinate.  It isn't doing it all at once.  

Good morning:  Cloudy at now at 8:30 but supposed to be clear by noon.  Warm at 34F(1C) high today of 53F(11C) If we get the sun out in the greenhouse it will be easily at 80F(15C) which us as the planters will be happy alongside the plants will love the heat and the sun. But the calm before the next round of rain and thunderstorms for Monday.  This is another sign of spring.   Right now stay warm, maybe later stay cool, but stay safe.
 
 
Australia family and friends for Saturday April 11th   will have a high of 67F(19C) but with 80% chance of rain.  Family from Iowa is visiting there now, both Larry and I know they are having an awesome time.  Evelyn and Tom are great hostesses.  Stay safe and enjoy it all. 
 
Good advice about putting in garden seeds and being temperature aware of the ground when you plant these.
You wait for the same warm weekend to plant everything and lose half your growing season before it starts.
Seeds don’t wake up at the same temperature. Some germinate in cold wet ground that would rot a bean seed in days. Others need warmth that won't arrive for weeks. Planting them all together means half are late and half are struggling.
Four windows. Not one.
🌱 Window one — early spring, while the ground still feels cold:
Peas, spinach, radishes. These crops want cool soil. By the time warm weekends arrive, their best window has already closed and spinach is weeks from bolting. Get them in early.
Adding this note about potatoes:  The ideal soil temperature for planting potatoes is between 45°F and 55°F (7°C to 13°C), with growth thriving up to 70°F (21°C).
Optimal Soil Temperatures for Potato Growth
Germination: Potatoes require a minimum soil temperature of 45°F (7°C) to begin sprouting. Soil colder than this will keep seed potatoes dormant, delaying germination and reducing yield.
Window two — a few weeks later, once the ground warms past fifty degrees:
Carrots, beets, lettuce. They need workable soil but not warm soil. The window is narrow — too early and carrots rot, too late and summer heat makes germination patchy.
Adding this note about onion sets:  Between 50°F and 75°F
The ideal soil temperature for planting onion sets is between 50°F and 75°F (10°C to 24°C). Onions prefer well-drained soil with a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. Proper soil preparation, including adjusting the pH and adding organic matter, is crucial for optimal growth. Planting onion sets in the right temperature range will help ensure a successful harvest.
Window three — after last frost, soil above sixty degrees:
Beans, corn, squash. These seeds absorb cold moisture without metabolizing it. Patience here pays back in germination rate.
🌿 Window four — midsummer. The one almost nobody uses:
Once the longest days pass, the same cold-hardy crops from spring thrive again. Kale sown in July produces sweeter leaves than anything from April — frost converts the starches to sugars, which is why fall kale tastes different. Turnips and arugula fill beds vacated by spent spring crops and give you a second harvest from the same ground.
Count backward sixty to seventy days from your first fall frost. That's the resow date.
Four windows. Two harvests. The season is longer than most people use it.
Taken from GardenTiming #SeedStarting #FallGarden #GrowYourOwn #KitchenGarden
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  Beckysgreenhouse.com  Facebook Becky Kerndt Litterer or Becky’s Greenhouse