Author Topic: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?  (Read 4974 times)

MoneyCat

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Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« on: June 22, 2015, 03:00:12 PM »
I really meant to plant my garden around Memorial Day weekend, but we've been having really strange weather in New Jersey this year and it's either rained or been about 95 degrees F outside every weekend since before Memorial Day.  I also work six days a week, so weekdays and Saturdays have not been available for setting up my garden.  I'm about to enter my yearly two month furlough from my main job (I'm a teacher), so two days from now I will finally have a weekday free.

Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden this year?  Would it be a complete waste of my time to even try at this point?  I'm really disappointed that I haven't been able to get it planted yet.

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2015, 03:03:25 PM »
We're already getting production close by, so it seems like your plants will have plenty of time.

libertarian4321

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2015, 05:19:08 PM »
I think it also depends on what you plan to grow.  Some plants grow a lot faster than others.

Emilyngh

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2015, 05:37:31 PM »
I really meant to plant my garden around Memorial Day weekend, but we've been having really strange weather in New Jersey this year and it's either rained or been about 95 degrees F outside every weekend since before Memorial Day.  I also work six days a week, so weekdays and Saturdays have not been available for setting up my garden.  I'm about to enter my yearly two month furlough from my main job (I'm a teacher), so two days from now I will finally have a weekday free.

Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden this year?  Would it be a complete waste of my time to even try at this point?  I'm really disappointed that I haven't been able to get it planted yet.

Depends on where you live and what you want to plant.

In most of the US I'd guess that you could still plant tomatoes if you start with decent sized plants.  Check the days to maturity for the variety you're using (50-100 days ish depending on variety) and make sure it'll still be hot where you live then.    I'd guess that cucs and zucchinis and other later summer things would possibly be ok, just check their estimated days for maturity (40-50ish days to maturity for zucchs and cucs).   

Regardless, you can definitely plan ahead for planting things for cooler fall weather, eg, broccoli, cabbage, collards, chard, lettuce, kale, etc, but you'll probably need to wait to plant these later in the summer when it cools down.   
« Last Edit: June 22, 2015, 05:40:04 PM by Emilyngh »

MsPeacock

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2015, 05:55:31 PM »
Lettuce grows fast. Radish grows in 28 days! You can get pretty large tomatoes at Home Depot that should be fine.

I would stick some seeds and see what happens.

Rural

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2015, 07:01:02 PM »
Radishes, pretty much anything where you eat leaves instead of fruit, probably tomatoes (cherry tomatoes mature faster), most herbs, likely squash (you can eat the blossoms, stuffed and fried, if it's getting too close to the end of the season).


I'd still plant peas/beans here if I were growing them, but your season may be too short (thinking of pole beans and that type).


Look up days to maturity on whatever you want to grow - you can just Google it. You definitely have time for lots of stuff yet.

DecD

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #6 on: June 22, 2015, 09:59:47 PM »
Isn't it too hot for lettuce and radishes right now, even in NJ?

Check online for a planting calendar.  Here's one, for example: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/NJ/Jersey+City

Rural

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #7 on: June 23, 2015, 04:10:46 AM »
Isn't it too hot for lettuce and radishes right now, even in NJ?

Check online for a planting calendar.  Here's one, for example: http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/NJ/Jersey+City


Lettuce, almost certainly too hot now, but there are other leafy options that will work until fall. My Swiss chard is doing fine now in the Deep South with temps going over 100 the last several days.


Radishes I usually grow all summer without an issue. Succession planting gives a constant supply. Radishesl grown in heat do tend to be spicier, but if you don't like that, you can just eat the greens (earlier than the roots) instead. And if they do go to seed, the green seed pods are great in stir-fry.


Nancy

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #8 on: June 23, 2015, 08:21:24 AM »
No, it's not too late. You can at least plant a fall garden (brassica, spinach, turnips, beets, greens etc.). No need to be disappointed! Just check out the average first frost date for your area, think of what you would like to plant, and find out days to maturity for those seeds. Good luck to you!

gReed Smith

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Re: Is it too late to plant a vegetable garden?
« Reply #9 on: June 23, 2015, 09:23:49 AM »
You could plant early girl tomatoes or cherry tomatoes, or anything else that ripens in 50 days.  Also, peppers are very fast, maybe 3 weeks for the first one.  Herbs are ready almost immediately. I bet some summer squash would do fine too.  Then, in late august, you can plant your spring crops again, as others have said.