PA RT
6: C O O L S E A S O N C R O P S
March is a cool time to
get started in the garden
Peas, onions, lettuce, cabbage, radishes ... just don’t
forget to leave room for May’s warmer season crops
By Wendy Hanson Mazet ■ Master Gardener Coordinator
SPRING HAS SPRUNG! The warm temperatures of March are settling in; it’s time
to get out and garden.
Now is the time to plant your
cool-season crops outdoors
and start planning for the
warm-season vegetables
that will need to be started
indoors. Many people ask how
to determine which vegetables
are cool-season crops. A coolseason crop or vegetable is
a plant which performs the
best during the cool weather
of spring or fall. Most coolseason crops will geminate
in soils with temperatures of
40 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
Peas, onions and lettuce
can germinate when soil
temperatures are as low
as 35 degrees Fahrenheit.
These plants can withstand
light frosts and moderate
snow once germinated. But
they do not thrive in the hot
temperatures of summer and
tend to bolt or die come the
end of June.
An old saying around the
Great Basin is to plant your
peas by Saint Patrick’s Day.
Depending on the variety of
peas you plant, you could be
harvesting by mid-May. Early
varieties such as ‘Daybreak’
are ready to harvest in 54 days
and grow 20 to 24 inches tall.
‘Snowbird,’ a sugar pea, will
germinate in 58 days and grow
18 inches tall. It is extremely
important to examine your
seed packets for germination
About this series
This article is the sixth in
a University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension
series on starting your
own vegetable garden.
Articles explore such
topics as site selection,
ordering seeds and
preparing your soil. To
find the complete series
of articles, go to our
“Grow Your Own” page at
www.unce.unr.edu
days and days to harvest.
Every gardener is faced
with difficult decisions
come planting time. When
considering cool-season crops,
there are many choices, and
they can easily take over
your entire planting area.
Cool-season crops include:
asparagus (crowns), broccoli,
Brussels sprouts, Chinese
cabbage, cabbage, carrots,
cauliflower, leeks, parsley,
Continued on back
The University of Nevada, Reno is an Equal Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer and does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, creed, national origin, veteran status, physical or
mental disability, or sexual orientation in any program or activity it conducts. The University of Nevada
employs only United States citizens and aliens lawfully authorized to work in the United States.
Copyright © 2009 University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Cool-season crops done by mid-June
peas, parsnips, radishes,
spinach, Swiss chard, celery,
onion starts and turnips.
With all the different types
of vegetables that can be
planted now, many gardeners
might forget the first rule
of thumb when it comes to
gardening. “Plan your garden
space and do not overplant.”
Even I, a seasoned gardener of
over 20 years, was overcome
last year by the urge to plant
more than I had originally
planned when it came to
onions and then tomatoes.
My cool-season crops ended
up dominating almost half my
garden. I planted over 300
onion starts, one whole bed
of peas and another of lettuce
and radishes. Come May, I
was struggling to place all of
my warm-season plants in the
correct sunny locations.
Remember, when you
plan your garden, most cool
-season crops will be finished
and ready to remove by mid or
late June. But, if temperatures
stay mild, the plant will
continue to flourish and it
may be July when you finally
remove withered pea stems
and Brussels sprout stalks.
These beds can be left to rest
for a month or so and then
replanted with cool-season
crops again in mid-July to
August. Yes, replanted! These
same crops can be rotated
from their original planting
location and started again
for what is called the second
season of vegetable gardening.
By planting cool-season
crops in mid-August, you can
continue harvesting fresh
vegetables into late autumn
and sometimes early winter.
If you have further questions
on starting a cool-season
garden or questions about
vegetable gardening in
our area, please contact
us at University of Nevada
Cooperative Extension. Call
784-4848 or e-mail me at
[email protected].
About the author
Wendy Hanson Mazet
is the Master Gardener
coordinator for the
western area of University
of Nevada Cooperative
Extension.
Hurray for the Ides of March: It’s pea-planting time
Shout hurrah because garden season
is here again. At the beginning of winter,
the long gray days felt as if they would
never come to an end, but spring always
arrives. It’s time to plant peas!
Peas are a cool-season crop and thrive
at temperatures below 80 degrees F. In
northern Nevada, tradition says plant
peas on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17.
Peas are very frost tolerant and can be
planted as soon as the soil rises above
40 degrees F. Seedlings will emerge in
seven to 10 days when planted in soil of
55 to 65 degrees F. Peas require fertile,
well-drained soil and full sun. For good
growth and production, dig in 2-3 inches
of compost and a complete fertilizer
(16-16-8) to a depth of 6 inches before
planting. The idea is to promote as much
plant development as possible before
the heat of late spring and summer
arrives. If you prepare the soil with a
complete fertilizer prior to planting, you
shouldn’t have to fertilize again.
There are many varieties of peas
available depending on whether you
want edible seeds, or pods. Garden
peas are planted for their seeds and
possible varieties include ‘Early Frosty,’
‘Green Arrow,’ ‘Little Marvel’ or ‘Sparkle.’
For snap or snow peas try ‘Snowflake,’
‘Sugar Daddy’ or ‘Super Sugar Snap’ to
name but a few. If you are interested in
dry peas, most garden pea varieties will
work. Most will mature in 60 to 70 days.
Sow seeds about 1 inch deep and 2
inches apart in the row. Low-growing
varieties can be grown in rows 12-24
inches apart. Stagger planting garden
peas every 14 to 21 days until early
April. Snap or snow peas only need
one planting. Peas need evenly moist
soil, particularly at flowering, but don’t
overwater. How often you should water
will depend on the soil type, more often
on sandy soils and less often on clayey
ones. An organic mulch about 2 inches
deep on top of the soil will help conserve
soil moisture, keep soil cooler, provide
extra nutrients and keep weeds down.
Weed control is essential especially in
the first six weeks after planting.
Critter protection is a good idea.
Rabbits, quail, ground squirrels and deer
will love your new seedlings, the plants
and the fruit. Let the gardening begin.
-- JoAnne Skelly