About when is it safe to assume that seeds can be planted here in Georgia (zone 7a)? I know it's after the last frost, but when is that usually? This will be my first time planting seeds here and I want to make sure my efforts won't be in vain. I rememember seeing wild wisteria along the highways in March one year.
Thanks for your help. Just trying to plan ahead.
JoAnn
Spring planting
Good Morning:
March 28 is the estimated last frost date for your area. I looked it up on the old farmer's almanac web site (www.almanac.com). Of course, checking out some other sites (I googled "spring frost date georgia"), I found a wide range of dates anywhere from end of March to end of April though I think that is the extreme. Easter is April 16 this year and I always use that as my ok time to plant potted plants and flowers. We have a lot of seed experts on the georgia forum so hopefully they will respond with advice. Good Luck.
Liz
Plus it depends on what type of seeds. It's getting pretty late for sweet peas (the flowering kind - not the veggie). I always think of the "official" last frost date as April 15, but then I've seen May snows here. Of course, it's usually in the 70's in a couple of days after that.
Thanks for your input gliz and pins! Maybe I'll compromise and start planting April 8th!
last year I put out lots of tropical Hibiscus around the beggining of April thinking that i was in the clear... We had a very very late frost around april 11th and I had to go outside and cover each and every one with a grocery bag.. so sometimes you can get someting like that. I jsut remember bring so glad that it was the last one of the year.
Susan
last year I put out lots of tropical Hibiscus around the beggining of April thinking that i was in the clear... We had a very very late frost around april 11th and I had to go outside and cover each and every one with a grocery bag.. so sometimes you can get someting like that. I just remember bring so glad that it was the last one of the year.
Susan
Oh... you are breaking my heart! Joann, this is also my first year to garden in GA, and I am way past ready for Spring. Can't believe I have to wait until mid-April. We moved from Central Florida and our plant date was Valentines Day, Feb. 14th. I don't miss the Disney traffic, but I certainly do miss the sunshine. Win some.. lose some.
I am gardening now.. I'm just raising all my seeds.. have you checked out the wintersowing forum?
Susan
soulgardenlove,
Oh, yes! I started wintersowing last month. I've already got lots of seedlings, too! I also have a growlight set-up in my kitchen, but there's not nearly the room I need. I'm thinking about building a 4-tier rack out of PVC pipe so I can get more plants started.
I'm also in the process of building a hoop house, but it is taking so long because we only have one car so I have to borrow a friend's truck to get the lumber and other supplies that I can't fit into my car. My friend has her truck filled with debris right now though and hasn't had a chance yet to unload it at the dump site. My husband takes the car to work everyday and I get it once a week to run errands, grocery shopping, appointments, etc. It's a hassle and I'm as impatient to get started as all get out!
I had 4 cattle panels delivered for the hoop part and have the 6 mil plastic. The ground is staked out and ready for the post holes to be dug. At the local bait shop I found a bunch of 55 gallon black plastic type drums to be used for heating the hoop house in the cold months. I also started vermicomposting, the reason for the visit to the bait shop in the first place.
I'm really into this stuff and can't wait for spring either!
JoAnn
WOW JoAnn, your just as busy as I am!!!!!!! I think I'm going to be headed your way on July 8th (i think) for Dr. Armitage's open garden trials tour and sale at UGA. Of course I plan on having every plant in the world already growing in my garden from all the wintersowing I'm doing.
:)
Susan
JoAnn, last year I bought a plastic 4 tier unit from Walmart for around $20. No cutting, everything was already there, and there is lots of space between shelving.
Susan, is the tour open to the public? If so, I'd love to go. Is there a web site that has more information about it?
Carmen
Susan,
I'm not familiar with "Dr. Armitage's open garden trials tour and sale" . What is it?
JoAnn
http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/index.cfm/fuseaction/about.main/index.htm
great web pages.. be sure to click on all the link at the top. I'm pretty sure I remember the date as July 8th? It's a Saturday.. so its' somewhere in there.
Susan
Thanks! I never knew this was here. We also have the Garden show at the Civic Center, which I have been to in 2004. I'll have to check and see when it is this year. We've also been to the Botanical Gardens about 3 times. I love that place!
JoAnn
Edited to say that the Garden show is actually the Home & Garden Show and it will be held from March 2 - 6th. There's a $5.00 admission fee for adults. I sent a dmail to darius with all of the information to post in the schedule forum.
This message was edited Feb 20, 2006 4:32 PM
Ohhh... Maybe we should start posting GA stuff in the GA forum? I never check the schedule forum?? Does anyone else?
Speaking of the Botanical Gardens.. i'm going there tonight for the Dahlia Society meeting.. I had wanted to post it, but it got a little too late.
Susan
You go all the way to mid-town at night from Marietta? Congratulations!! I hate it when I have to. I wish the clubs were on the weekends instead.
Yes Carmen, and it appears that I'm doing it again tomorrow! The GPPA is meeting, but i was convinced this evening to go to the rose society meeting which is also tomorrow night at the ABG. I have purchased loads of climbers this year and I really do need to get them started properly.
Susan
So, you're a rose person, too? One day we'll have to get together. I'd love to see your garden, and I know you'd love to see my mom's. She's in Sandy Springs, just off Riverside. She has a few hundred rose bushes and they are just beautiful. I have zero rose bushes, but I'm thinking about getting a knock out, and I am swapping for a Lady Banks (jumping right in, of course) lol
Carmen, WOW, a few hundred? Oh my gosh.. I'd love to see that. Who wouldn't??!!!
I actually just started buying up all these roses this year. I have been studying them for quite some time trying to decide which varieties I wanted and I jsut ended up buying the ones that were too good to pass up at Costco and Wal-mart and I just saw some at Home Depot that I am destined to get as well. The ones that I am not familiar with, I write down and look up at home and then go back for it if it's good for me. I just have to figure out the financial juggling necessary to get them!! :) The interesting thing is that I really don't apprecaite roses for the all the thorns, so I will probably not grow many of them in my beds, but the climbers are just great for me and the arches I am installing out of rebar. Also, I just got a pair of armour gloves from Joe when we demo'd how we could wrestle with barbed wire up on his stage at the SE flower show... so maybe having those could convince me to love to learn them even more. Nothing will go through those gloves.
:)
Susan
hi soul i can tell you one to put on your list is double delight absolutly gourges and a constant bloomer mine is in its second season and is already putting out leaflets, its blooms white/ red petals that darkens up over time i love it.i also have a few climeing americas that are still alive but struggling they cant take the heat down here, even with correct sun/shade placement. also i use the mircle grow six week slow release fertilizer with leaf mold mulch on top but keep the crown clear.dug extra deep with 6" of gravel in the hole. also while im thinking about it , rowens on roswell rd maretta has the best selection of used garden books in the state, real, real, cheap if you need good rose books or any other garden books for that matter.
Thanks Bulbhound! I just got back from the meeting and the people are so wonderful. everyone was so nice and helpful. I love gardners.. they are the best lot of people on earth.
I LOVE gardening books... too much in fact.. Rowens it is called? Where on Roswell Rd? Thanks for the info :)
i dont know the exact address but its in the same shopping center as big lots and the classy flea antiuqe store about a mlie east of the big chicken on the left, they are in the corner...
I think I know where that is. Thanks!
Susan
I recently bought 2 climbing rose bushes from Home Depot. (Don Juan) I kept them inside and they were doing GREAT, just sprouting all over......then I read that the problem with the 'warehouse roses' is that they grow to much in the warm house before you can put them outside. I realized that was exactly what mine was doing. SO... last weekend I got my dh to amend my clay and plant my rose bushes in the ground. I couldn't even start to dig that concrete (ummm clay..) myself. They look pretty sad right now but I'm watering them daily. Anybody got suggestions?
Great look on your dh's face! lol What did you amend the clay with? Remember that a plant's roots grow more across than down. The old saw goes "Dig a $5 hole for a $.50 plant." They won't be happy in clay, but they will be happy in lots of compost. If you planted them in clay and are watering them daily they could be drowning because the water has no place to go. Add some H2O2 (1:10) to the water if that might be so.
You need to amend your soil ::did I say soil,er,I mean clay,with sand coarse sand . The clay holds H2O,but sand will build a loam better than peat ,in your ground.Hay,your lucky,I have rocks with mine,but 24yrs. adding compost,sand,and wood chips,its not bad.Working the soil is half the fun,also day lillies add to soil like that,especially if you use the free ones and turn them under,every now and then.Mike
Various seeds get started at different times of the year here.
In Nov-Jan you can plant your Poppies, delphinium, nigella, cerinthe.
In Jan/Feb you can plant california poppies, batchelor buttons, ammi majus, native annual coreopsis and ratibita, sweat peas, (as Carmen directs).
March I don't plant anything directly. The early plantings all begin to arise this month, I just let them go ahead and do their thing.
The 1st of April I begin direct planting any other seeds I feel like.
I never WS any of the above seeds, I plant them directly so that they get the earliest bloom and don't wilt in heat.
I planted the lovely veilchenblau rose today.
GGG
Various seeds get started at different times of the year here.
In Nov-Jan you can plant your Poppies, delphinium, nigella, cerinthe.
In Jan/Feb you can plant california poppies, batchelor buttons, ammi majus, native annual coreopsis and ratibita, sweat peas, (as Carmen directs).
March I don't plant anything directly. The early plantings all begin to arise this month, I just let them go ahead and do their thing.
The 1st of April I begin direct planting any other seeds I feel like.
I never WS any of the above seeds, I plant them directly so that they get the earliest bloom and don't wilt in heat.
I planted the lovely veilchenblau rose today.
I don't think the schedule forum is checked or updated much for GA.
We are having our first church sale on March 11th. I won't be at that one (going to Canada Blooms this week in Toronto!!) but I will be there April 8th. Episcopal Church of the Holy Comforter, 737 Woodland Ave at Ormewood, just off of Moreland in SE Atlanta. Drive around by the greenhouse. 10am-2pm perennials, shrubs, great prices on magnolia trees, herbs glore, a TON TON TON of rare and unusual succulents, great easy $1 plants for the kiddies, cole crop vegetables. Everything is "all naturally grown" (which means we can't say organic, but they are!!). Normally I would have a complete list of availablility but I've been away for a month due to illness. For the April 8th show I'll be able to email anyone a complete availability and price list. April 8th we will be BRUG CRAZY!!!
GGG
Teacher, yes the soil needs some help, however, I am starting to be a fan of no dig/no till or low til methods. I am going to be building the soil UP in my new beds and letting the worms so their thing to bring all that organic matter down and hopefully eventually turn it for me. Most annuals and perenials will grow in the top layer of soil I'm putting down. Never put new soil or compost of top of weeds unless you want deeply rooted weeds! I have just joined the rose society and I personally have about 20 Don Juans and 4 Blazes amongst others potted up and waiting to go in, so I am no expert... But I do know that they need great drainage. And they like to be fed, but I'm still elarning about that. i've jsut been using the messenger.
G, Ooooooooohhhhhhhhhh, I'm there!! Thanks so much for sharing this. I hope you are well, you've been in my thoughts. Have fun in Canada!!!! WOW!
Susan
Hummmm.... I'm glad I only have $10 invested in my 2 rose bushes because it sounds like I might be drowning them in a bathtub.... we amended the soil with compost/mulch instead of sand at a ratio of about 2 parts clay to 1 part compost. Somewhere I read that I should not amend more than 2:1 because the roots would stay in the 'good stuff' and not venture out of it. It's only been a few days... do you think we should dig them back out and add some sand? I will definately slow down on the water.
Soulgardenlove... I have one lasagna garden. Is that what you are doing? I will be putting in more soon. Mine is doing well, but I didn't take the time to 'cook' it..... I just planted right on the top since it was viola that I was putting in it at the time. We had just moved here and the yard was bare... I couldn't stand it so I threw it together quickly and the plants are still kicking. We seem to have adequate worm activity, so hopefully they will 'go forth and multiply'.
Ohhhh. Blurry picture. I hope this one is better. My granddaughter loves working in the flowers with me, so I give her a spade every chance I get.
Yes Teacher, That is the method I am using. Spray weeds with vinegar, Building up and planting and and No I don't have the time to let it sit either!!
I have never added sand and the reason why is this: You are supposed to add course sand and if you add fine sand you will turn your concrete to clay. I did look for it but quite honestly I was "petrified" Ha ha about putting the wrong stuff in so I didn't. When I first started building up and amending my beds, I repeatedly filled up my husbands truck with horse manure and directly shoveled it into the beds. Two great well meaning gardeners at my garden club said that nothing would grow in it an insisted that I have "real soil" brought in. Everything that grew in the manure was lush... The real soil plants turned yellow. Also, the tiller couldn't even touch the clay for all the inches on the top of it. The only bad part is the decomposition and runoff, since the beds are on a slight slope, which is why I'm also getting the free compost at the Dekalb composting facitlity.. just got my first load a few Fridays ago.
Teacher, Today I went to the Rose auction at Cobb County's Back Acre Garden where they were digging everything out since a city manager started telling them what they could grow and they just decided to move the master gardeners garden and not be under such jurisdiction. There were some roses that had been there for years and these were huge roses too... I saw them being dug up and while some did get a root here or there cut, by and large the entire root systems of all these roses where surprisingly contained. These were roses that were well cared for and grew exceptionally well. My point in telling you this is that I personally would amend the soil for your rose and make it as happy and comfy as possible and just make sure that you give it a really comfortable sized ammended hole with good drainage and elevate the soil level if need be. The logic with not amending the soil is for trees that are going to be growing past the amended hole and through the clay.. in that case, plant away! That's what I did with my Osmanthus Fragrans shrubs and they are doing just great.
:)
Susan
Susan, that makes a lot of sense... the trees and larger shrubs would need to reach farther than the amended soil, but possibly the small plants would not. Gosh, I'm glad I'm making smart friends at DG!
Bumping to remind everyone of the plant sale this morning that GGG told us about.
Susan
I just got back from the Pikes at Toco Hills. They have an in-store sale on Razzleberri Lorepedlum at 30% off. They have the light green leaf shocking pink flowers. Gaudy as all get out! I've been dying to get one. lol
Yea!!!!!!!
Susan
Have you noticed that there is nothing gaudy in nature,but the way we arange it may keep the jury out longer.Mike
I've had a huge discussion with myself about "nature" when cleaning up overgrown brush and poison ivy at the entrance to our street where the absentee property owners use it for rent.
"Natural" isn't always beautiful and gardens are certainly not anything we would find collected togerther in nature.... but I love it. And yes, I love gaudy too. After I work on my garden for several years I want to have a tour and hear someone say.. wow, how gaudy.. Then I will know that I did a great job!!
Susan
A woman after my own heart! lol