Gardener's Spring Planting Calendar January 21-31

Offered with compliments of Master Gardeners Association of BC

January 21-31
11 Weeks Before Last Frost

INDOORS: 

*     Review seed catalogues online to help you decide what you want to grow this year.  Order your catalogues, but be sure to review shipping charges before deciding to order from a company.  If you are ordering from a supplier's catalogue, check with your gardening friends if they would be interested in ordering/sharing shipping costs as well. 
*     Check local garden centres and hardware store flyers for gardening supplies - especially those early bird specials!
*     Check the number of days until harvest for each crop to decide which seeds you will start indoors:

• Some have a long growing season so will require an early start in order to produce a crop
• Some can be directly seeded closer to frost date, and starting indoors will give you an early crop, or second crop
• Some crops are fast growers, or do not take well to transplanting, and should only be sown outdoors at the appropriate time.  Some of these include:  corn, carrots, potatoes, beans, peas

*     Many perennials are slow growers, and don't produce flowers until their 2nd year.  Others are hard to germinate; their seed packet or catalogue will tell you.  Buy these as year-old plants with healthy root balls that are ready to bloom for you this year. 
*     Most herbs are perennials; others, like basil and dill are annuals.  Herbs grow easily from seed and make wonderful border plants, so make a spot for them along the walkway close to your kitchen where they are easy to harvest.  As most are harvested for their leaves, it doesn't matter that they may not give you flowers the first year. 
*     Start sowing artichokes (through mid February).

Companion planting of
Artichokes & Lettuce