042: Use Your Frost Dates To Build A Planting Calendar Artwork

Organic Gardening For Beginners: Practical, Beginner-Friendly Gardening Tips To Grow Your Own Food and Flowers

Organic Gardening For Beginners is your go-to podcast for learning how to grow a thriving, organic garden—without the overwhelm. Whether you’re short on time, unsure where to start, or looking for practical advice, this podcast will help you grow with confidence.

Join Jessica, experienced gardener of over 20 years as she shares easy-to-follow tips, inspiration, and real-world strategies for success. With over 50 episodes and thousands of downloads, Organic Gardening For Beginners has helped countless gardeners get started and stay motivated. Now, it’s back with fresh insights and guidance to help you every step of the way.

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Organic Gardening For Beginners: Practical, Beginner-Friendly Gardening Tips To Grow Your Own Food and Flowers

042: Use Your Frost Dates To Build A Planting Calendar

January 30, 2024 • Homegrown Food and Flowers

Welcome back to this episode where I dive into the world of gardening with a seasonal twist. I'm Jessica, and in this episode, we cap off our January garden planning series with some golden nuggets of wisdom to take you from planning to planting.

If you're a newbie or a seasoned pro, this episode is your trusty guide to syncing your garden with the seasons.

We kick things off by deciphering frost dates and growing seasons. I'll show you how to use these dates to create a planting calendar that aligns with your local climate.

Remember, 'planted is better than perfect,' so don't stress about hitting every date precisely. And if you've missed our previous chats, episodes 39 to 41 are there for a quick catch-up, plus a handy downloadable calendar to keep things smooth.

Next, we'll dive into how frost dates inform when to plant your seeds. You'll get practical advice on starting warm-season veggies like tomatoes indoors and why cold-hardy plants like snap peas can go straight into the garden earlier. The goal is to craft a planting schedule that leads to a full garden all season.

Then, we ease into simple gardening strategies. I encourage starting with a few plants after the frost date using local seedlings. This way, you avoid overwhelming yourself with too many details.

I also touch on adapting garden plans, like when I moved mid-season, and share some tips on extending your growing season with methods like low tunnels and row covers.

Happy gardening!

find your frost dates:
Dave's Garden frost dates
Farmer's Almanac frost dates

Here's a great article I wrote that gives you a solid example of planting within your frost dates with cosmos flowers.

📩 Questions? Email me at homegrownfoodandflowers@gmail.com

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