Backyard Planting Schedule
Daylight Saving Time has officially stolen an hour of our sleep and the sun is out once again - this means it is time to know your backyard planting schedule!
You may already be getting the planting bug and want to start landscaping or gardening. However, you may need to hold your horses depending on what you plant. Planting certain things at a certain time is key to a successful growth - and you need the know how to do it.
Brownthumbmamma.comexplained planting schedules on their site:
"You see, nurseries and big-box stores are happy to sell you plants and seeds just about any time of year–even when it’s not the correct time to plant them.
If the soil isn’t warm enough and the conditions aren’t right for planting, those little seeds and seedlings aren’t going to make it. You might as well just tear up a $10 bill and sprinkle it on the ground.
When is the right time to plant?
Good question! Different plants grow best at different times of the year, in different parts of the country.
For example: my zucchini plants are growing and thriving in July, but in Arizona it’s so hot that they’ve already started to die off."
So how to do you know when to plant and what? Luckily there are guides and information based on the climate you live in.
Weatherbug.comgives a quick reference point when they said,
"Technically, the "growing season" is the period between the last frost of the winter and the first frost of the fall. Numerous websites reference the average last frost for a given location. However, this should be taken with caution, as last-frosts can occur well after this date, with a light frost arriving in April or even May for many locations in the U.S. northern tier. Many plants can also survive a light spring frost, meaning they can be placed in the ground before the last frost."
Luckily, we give you an abbreviated list below. Here is our backyard planting schedule for your convenience:
Landscaping
Grass
The oversimplified answer of when to plant grass is the Fall and Summer. But if you're looking for a more detailed backyard planting schedule you'll need to know the following.
First, know your USDA Zone. A USDA Zone is map that details climate conditions in our area. As the USDA site says, "The...USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive at a location. The map is based on the average annual minimum winter temperature, divided into 10-degree F zones."
Second, you can follow some basic guidelines that are non-specific to an area for your backyard planting schedule. This includes the following from greatdayimprovements.com:
"Because of the wide and varying climate zones even within states there is no set rule for an entire state. However, there are some general guidelines to follow:
- Seed cool weather grass seeds in late summer to early fall. This gives these grasses the best chance of survival. They don't have to deal with the heat of the summer and established grass will start going dormant soon which will give your growing seeds a better chance of grabbing up essential nutrients.
- Seed warm weather grass seeds in early spring and into the summer. Wait until temperatures get above 65°F during the day and then seed. This will allow the warm weather grasses to get the benefit of warm temperatures that come with summer while giving them time to become established prior to cooler weather in the fall.
- Plant in regards to the grass seed and not the area you live in. For example, if you decide to plant warm weather grass in a cooler climate then sow the seeds in the spring when temperatures have risen and not in fall."
Bushes
Bushes follow basically the same backyard planting schedule as grass does - Spring and Fall are the best time to plant. The Purdue Department of Agriculture wrote,
"Trees and shrubs generally do best if planted in the early spring before or just as new growth starts. The second best time for planting is in the fall, because plants are essentially dormant in the fall and the conditions provide the greatest chance for successful establishment. However, containerized stock or B & B plants can be planted any time the soil can be worked. Certain species of trees are known to be slow to establish new roots (see Table 1).These trees should be planted only in the spring."
Trees
The key to the tree backyard planting schedule is to avoid planting when it is too hot or too cold. You don't want the heat sapping the life of the tree away but you don't want the ground to be frozen, eitheir.
"Fall is often considered the best time of year to plant new trees. Generally, late August, September and October are the best months.
It all depends, though, on when it actually feels like fall. As long as the hottest days of summer are gone and the ground isn’t frozen yet, you can still plant trees."
Garden
Leafy Greens
The backyard planting schedule for leafy greens is totally dependent on climate. In areas of the country that are warm leafy greens can be planted year round. For colder climates, plant 2-3 weeks after the last frost. Leafy greens can continue to be planted throughout the summer.
Peas
Peas are one of the first things you plant. Plant pea seeds 4-6 weeks before your last spring frost date. You want to plant peas as soon as the soil is malleable even if that means rain and snow fallon your peas. The planting season for peas is very small so take advantage.
Carrots
Plant carrot seeds 3 - 5 weeks before the last spring frost date. You can find this date by clicking HERE. Plant additional seeds about every 3 weeks for multiple harvests.
Tomatoes
Homeguidesgives an outline of when to plant tomatoes:
"Start tomatoes indoors in seed-starting trays or recyclable pots, six to eight weeks before the last frost date in your area. In U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 8 and 9, start seeds as early as mid-January; in USDA zones 3 or 4, wait to start seeds until mid- to late March and early April.
Wait two weeks after the last frost date to plant seeds or set transplants outdoors. Night temperatures should be above 55 degrees Fahrenheit."
We hope this backyard planting schedule has been helpful for you to get a head start on your landscaping and planting this year!
In addition, you can visit Keylock Storage Blog for more interesting articles about organization and lifestyle: keylockstorage.com/blogs
