Getting the Most Out of a Short Growing Season

Getting the Most Out of a Short Growing Season

Kirsten Thomson, Farm Support & Sales Coordinator, West Coast Seeds 

 

A short growing season doesnโ€™t have to mean a small harvest. With the right strategies, you can extend your growing window, boost yields, and protect your plants from undesirable weather. Hereโ€™s how to make the most of your time in the garden:ย  Choose Fast-Maturing and Cold-Hardy Cropsย Choosing the right plants starts at seed selection. Opt for seeds with shorter days to maturity โ€“ ideally 70 days or less. Direct-seeded crops like carrots, beans, beets, radishes, peas, and lettuce are great and reliable options. Cold-tolerant crops, such as kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and chicories, can be planted in warm weather and will continue to grow and form nice, beautiful heads or leaves as temperatures drop.ย 
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There are many combinations of plants for interplanting โ€“ which combination suits your needs the most? One way of maximizing the return from garden space...

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There are many combinations of plants for interplanting โ€“ which combination suits your needs the most? One way of maximizing the return from garden space is to interplant crops. This is the practice of planting one kind of crop, and...

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Many people ask us for the โ€œMaryโ€™s Mixโ€ complete organic fertilizer blend recipe. For smaller gardens, it may be more economical to purchase some premixed...

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Many people ask us for the โ€œMaryโ€™s Mixโ€ complete organic fertilizer blend recipe. For smaller gardens, it may be more economical to purchase some premixed 4-4-4 Complete Organic Fertilizer from Gaia Green. We love this product, and use it in...

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Potatoes are important to the self-sufficient gardener and the gourmet gardener. Easy to grow, highly nutritious and there is a variety for every use in...

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Potatoes are important to the self-sufficient gardener and the gourmet gardener. Easy to grow, highly nutritious and there is a variety for every use in the kitchen. Kids of all ages love to grow potatoes. Some are for baking, some...

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Iberis umbellataย is an easy-to-grow annual plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a distant relative of the cabbage. The Latin name refers to the umbel flower form of the relatively flat grouping of many small individual flowers. As an umbel-forming plant, it is naturally attractive to a host of beneficial predatory insects. Continue reading below for tips on how to grow Iberis from seed.

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Iberis umbellataย is an easy-to-grow annual plant that is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a distant relative of the cabbage. The Latin name refers to the umbel flower form of the relatively flat grouping of many small individual flowers. As an umbel-forming plant, it is naturally attractive to a host of beneficial predatory insects. Continue reading below for tips on how to grow Iberis from seed.

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Gaura is native to the southern United States, so it thrives in hot, dry environments, and is useful for xeriscaping. Latin Gaura lindheimeri Difficulty Easy...

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Gaura is native to the southern United States, so it thrives in hot, dry environments, and is useful for xeriscaping. Latin Gaura lindheimeri Difficulty Easy Season & Zone Exposure: Full sun Zone: 6-9 Timing Start this perennial Gaura indoors 8-10...

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Use this page to learn how to grow garlic. Garlic is a very economical crop to grow because it takes up very little space. Once...

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Use this page to learn how to grow garlic. Garlic is a very economical crop to grow because it takes up very little space. Once it is harvested it keeps for months. And then some of the harvest can be...

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Lacy, beautiful fennel plants grace planter boxes and the delicate leaves are lovely in salads. Like dill and parsley, the flowers of fennel are intensely...

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Lacy, beautiful fennel plants grace planter boxes and the delicate leaves are lovely in salads. Like dill and parsley, the flowers of fennel are intensely attractive to beneficial insects.ย Grow fennel in a sunny position in well-drained loamy soil. If your...

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Cover cropping is a seasonal process inย every well-managed sustainable garden or farm. Planting cover crop seeds is easy. ย Useful in weed suppression, they are important...

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Cover cropping is a seasonal process inย every well-managed sustainable garden or farm. Planting cover crop seeds is easy. ย Useful in weed suppression, they are important in building soil structure and add nutrients and organic matter to soils. Many of the...

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Broad beans are a member of the pea family, and are one of the oldest known cultivated plants. Broad beans are also known many other...

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Broad beans are a member of the pea family, and are one of the oldest known cultivated plants. Broad beans are also known many other names: fava beans, Windsor beans, faba bean, and horse beans.ย Follow along with thisย handy How to...

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