Planting guide for St. George, Utah

[Julie]

Planting guide for St. George, Utah

Feb 10
Peas: Laxton Progress, Little Marvel, Wando
Beets: Detroit Dark Red
Carrots: Danver half-long, Imperator
Radishes: all kinds
Turnips: Purple top and White Globe
Onions:

Feb 15
Cabbage, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussel Sprouts, Strawberries, Swiss Chard, Asparagus.

March 1
Tomato Seeds: Ace, Improved Pearson, Better Boy, Early Girl, Celebrity

March 12-15
Potatoes: Red Lasoda, Red Pontiac

April 1
Cucumber: Long Green and Pickling

April 10
Lettuce: Iceburg

April 22
Corn: Iowa Chief, Silver Queen, Sugar Buns
Melons: Stripped Klondike, Honey Dew, Hales Best, Casaba
Squash: Zucchini, Yellow Crockneck
Tomato Plants
Peppers: Yolo Wonder and Bell
Eggplant: "Black Beauty
Beans: Blue Lake Pole, Kentucky Wonder Pole, Slenderette, Easy Pick

Fall Gardens
July 4 and 24
Corn

Aug 1
Beans

Aug 20
Broccoli, Cabbage, Swiss Chard, etc. (Most cool weather plants)

[signseeker]

Do you start tomatoes from seeds? I'm not "set up" for starting seeds and it seems so intimidating anyway. But there's soooo many cool varieties of heirloom tomatoes and different colors and stuff. I think it would be neat to try.

I started beans once and they got all spindly and I tried to "harden them off" outside and I think the dog coughed on them cuz they were all laying down dead when I checked on them again.

I totally try really hard with plants and they usually die. DH doesn't give a crap and everything he plants grows like gangbusters. :mad:

[prairiemom]

Wow, I'm so envious. I can't even begin to think about planting until mid-May.

[Julie]

We plant early to beat the heat.

I have a greenhouse that is like a tent that I put up and down each year but this year I am getting a shelving unit that has a greenhouse plastic cover on it. I can put it out in the day and bring it in at night. I will not get spindly plants and I do not have to heat it.
Tomatoes do quite well with the seed planted right into the ground. My dad used to do this and it was his preferred method. I had some bite size cherry tomatoes plants that kept coming up on their own each year. They about took over my garden but I finally got rid of them. Beans I would just plant. I really don't start much. I do tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, broccoli and sometimes cucumbers.

[signseeker]

Right into the ground... I might try that. I think the book Gardening When It Counts (?) suggests the very same thing. :thumbup:

[goldilocks]

They will actually be fine in the ground through the winter I hear and come up in the spring . Maybe where its not too super cold like St george

[Earthling]

Signseeker - in our area the only thing that I start ahead of time and plant as seedlings vs right in the ground are tomatoes, peppers, and melons - so they have enough time to produce before summer is over. Not to mention it is always good to have a good natured contest with someone as to who eats the first fresh tomato! :l0 (46):

[Julie]

There is nothing like beating your neighbors and friends to the first tomato:l0 (33): I like to start mine early so I have good sized plants by April. I also have row covers that are like gauze that I'll cover my plants with if it gets near freezing at night. I also plant first my Early Girl's and I keep a running count on my green tomatoes.

[signseeker]

So, earthling... what type of tomatoes are you starting from seeds this year?

(Perhaps you see where this is going... heehee)

[Earthling]

Always have to have Early Girl's (best early tomato as was mentioned) plus a few new varieties that hit my eye, a cherry tomato (to make shish kabobs!), and a good eating tomato (usually several kinds) like Celebrity.

[signseeker]

See, I'm just tempted to get Early Girls and Celebrity at Wal-Mart. It's so much easier than trying to grow the seeds.

Don't you grow anything cool? Like Black Krim? Or Cherokee?

[Julie]

It's best to plant what you know works and then try some new varieties to see how they do. You never know. There might be something out there that does better and you like better. I will be doing my first garden up to my ranch this year. In the earlier days they used to dry farm it but I don't think you can do that anymore. I will be trying new varieties to see what works. I'm excited for the new adventure. My husband even traded around and got me an old Ford 8N tractor for my garden. Now we have his and hers tractors. :l0 (62):

[Earthling]

See, I'm just tempted to get Early Girls and Celebrity at Wal-Mart. It's so much easier than trying to grow the seeds.

Don't you grow anything cool? Like Black Krim? Or Cherokee?

Nothing wrong with getting them in pots at Walmart. When I have busy years I go to J&J Nursery in Layton, Utah's $1.99 on gallon size sale. I do try new cool varieties when I plant by seed . . . but more mainstream stuff. I'm not into black tomatoes, black & purple potatoes, etc.

[prairiemom]

My very favorite tomato is Amish Paste. Half my tomatoes are Amish Paste. They are a big, beefy paste tomato, not like puny little romas. It makes it much easier to make a thick spaghetti sauce, salsa and tomato sauce. For flavor I like Brandywine and I always plant at least 2-3 yellows--last year it was Yellow Brandywine.

In tribute to my grandmother I always plant red and yellow cherry and pear tomatoes. Last year I added Brownberry (a brownish cherry variety) to the mix--it made for a nice colorful bowl of cherries. This year I see some more new varieties of cherry--Italian Ice (white), Chocolate Cherry, another brown variety and Orange Paruche. That one is expensive--15 seeds for $6.45, so I'll definitely be saving the seeds from that plant. So I think this year I'll just do a rainbow of cherries--white, yellow, orange, red and brown. That ought to be pretty in a salad or veggie tray.

Since tomato seeds are so easy to save, I always stick to OP or heirloom varieties. Same with peppers.

[Julie]

prairiemom,
do you know how the amish paste tomatoes do in the heat? I love my Romas because it can be 110 outside and they will still produce. A bigger paste tomatoes does sound nice though.

[prairiemom]

The catalog says that are good producers and make consistently large fruits and that has been my experience. But we don't have many 100?+ days. But I think the key is cool nights. Why don't you do a test? Plant 2-3 of each variety and weigh the total amount of fruits you get to see which does the best? That'd be interesting to know.

[KF7EEC]

Planting guide for St. George, Utah

Do you know if this is the same for Vegas?

[Lucy]

I would start now for Las Vegas, but that's just me. It seems like its always 5-10 degrees warmer there than here.

[Julie]

For Vegas go to this link. http://www.reviewjournal.com/home/gardening/
Linn Mills is the gardening expert for that area. You should be able to contact him to see what varieties are best.
Hope this helps

[KF7EEC]

I have done computer work for Linn's wife. I'm just lazy and it was a nice, well put together list. :)