Depending on your winters, a lot of desert plants are best put in the ground by fall. They develop their roots, and over winter , then have 1/2 a chance better at survival in the spring then hot summer. I have noticed having a good root stock seems to improve desert planting success.
For biennial seed, like hollyhock that will bloom in the 2nd season,plant seed now them mulch heavily, and you will get a little bloom next season, and the year after it will take off!
A good 2 inches of mulch is a must.
Fall Planting
Why "Thankyou" Sis!
Have you tried planting in the fall? It probably gets colder where you are.What are your conditions like?
Has anyone here tried that European method of planting seeds in late fall for overwintering for spring seedling bed for later transplanting?
There was some info on it last spring, I think on one of DG's boards.
It's cooler here now, and I've been stagger planting fall stuff, mostly greens. My first fall greens, including Swiss chard, are almost ready for harvest. Currently watching the just up green peas. Hope it is very late frost here!
Sis! You poor dear.Now you KNOW I wont see rain for months here! But I wish for a clear day! Coming to you soon.
Tashak, I would love to hear more about this European planting method. DO TELL!
Or maybe we could ask Dave how to find it if we have the Thread name.
Haven't had time yet to go through my envelope of paper scraps with website notes to find the European late fall seedplanting notes. It did intrigue me.
As I recall, most of the posters in that thread used it for flowers, but one or so mentioned using it for vegetables, I forget which. Seems as though it should work, though, in nonarctic zones, as I did have a few odd things like turnip greens, kohlrabi, cabbage, etc. come up on their own this spring from plants that had gone to seed before last winter. Suspect I'd have to cover the seed area with screen wire to keep the chukars etc. from getting the seeds/seedlings. If some of my fallen to the ground yellow pear tomatoes and tomatillos and dau gauk grow unaided next spring, I'll definitely try it.
I will check the few other garden websites I've lurked on (except for the old Organic Gardening board which now no longer exists at end of this month)and see if I can find anything else about that European method. I wonder if it has been used in Canada for anything besides wheat.