Living Well with BCHC; Cool-Weather Crops
Ready for summer? Dreaming of gardening? Get your green thumb out a little early this year and plant some cool-weather loving crops. The following five crops can be planted almost as soon as the ground is tillable.
- Potatoes – Best when planted mid-April. Any root vegetable could be planted at this time such as radishes, beets, and turnips.
- Spinach – Sow seeds in April as plants become bitter when hot weather hits.
- Lettuce – Any leafy green in addition to lettuce, such as kale, cabbage, collards, can be sown in early spring.
- Onions – Sow seeds in early to mid-April for dry onions. Plantings can be put in the ground from early April to summer months.
- Carrots – Seeds can be sown from early April to August. Plant every three to four weeks for a continuous harvest.
For more details about when to plant and how to harvest these vegetables and more, check out the publication “Planting and Harvesting Times for Garden Vegetables” published by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/Planting-and-Harvesting-Times-for-Garden-Vegetables).
For more information contact Sarah Kielly, Local Foods Coordinator at Buchanan County ISU Extension and Outreach, 319-334-7161.
Buchanan County Health Center
319 – 332 – 0850