It’s the time of year when vegetable transplants (or “starts) begin to show up at nurseries, hardware and grocery stores, and plant sales. Transplants are wonderful for many reasons. First, certain crops are difficult to grow from seed and will simply perform better if transplanted.
Read MoreStarting Onions + Leeks from Seed
Onions and leeks are always the first transplants we seed each year at Seattle Urban Farm Co. (SUFCo). Bulbing onions and leeks have a long growing season, so getting them started early allows for them to grow to maturity in the optimal growing conditions of summer. They also cure better and store longer when harvested during dry weather conditions. Many people devote a large part of their gardens to alliums because they so store well and are very easy to use, so another advantage to a summer harvest is that it can also create room for fall crops!
Read MorePeas: First Transplants of the Year
It can be easy to forget that the sweet crunchy peas we enjoy on warm summer days are actually a cool season crop. This means they grow best at temperatures of 50 to 60ºF and should be planted early enough that they have a chance to mature before temperatures are consistently above 85ºF.
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