I guess I got pretty gung-ho. I've been buying tons of seeds. Is it too late in the season to plant things from seed now? I was talking to a lady today who thought it is too late. She said I should buy established plants from the nursery. What do you all think?

I seed warm weathers all the way up to late October. The frost date here is around Dec 12 so by that time I would have seeded stuff like lettuce, onion, strawberry. Anyway, We have such a short cold season (around two months) that you may still get away with seeding now. As always check the maturity date against the calendar. Good luck and keep us posted!LA TIMES

I bet you could start fall crops soon.

It really just depends on two basic factors.

1) What you want to grow.
2) When your first frost date normally occurs.

What you want to grow - including the variety & how long it takes to produce - is important so that you don't go to a lot of trouble only to find frost killing your plants before you get a harvest. That's why it's important to read your seed packet. However, as TomC mentioned, now is the time when a lot of folks start seedlings for fall producers like brassicas (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage), Asian greens, even some lettuces so they can mature during the cooler temps that they need & love.

Also - never EVER throw out seed that you didn't get to use! I'm a seed-buying/hoarding maniac, & never throw out leftover seed - even if I've used some of it. Just store the sealed packets in an airtight container & keep them in a household closet (not the attic, garage, or basement). I've had excellent germination from everything from lettuce thru tomato, pepper, eggplant, etc., etc., seed that I've had for over 10 years!! And anyway, what have you got to lose - a little time & dirt. Never underestimate the power of seed - lol!

Thanks for your responses. They've been really helpful. You know, being knew to gardening, I've never paid much attention to "frosts" in Southern California where I live. In fact, I'm not even sure we have frosts. I think it's rare. Although shatbox, who lives about an hour from me, does mention frosts.
breezy, yeah, I never throw out seeds. I think they're precious. Also, I'm concerned about future food shortages, and perhaps an escalating price of seeds, so I keep them!!
tom, I'm so looking forward to the fall crops, especially broccoli, kale and other dark leafy greens.

I'm sorry I couldn't be more specific, but I'm just not familiar with west coast weather. My advice was just meant to be pretty basic. For all I know, you could be able to plant anything & everything year-round.

What's the ballpark lowest temp you get during the winter months?

Breezy, I don't think it gets any colder than the mid 30s.

In that case, you're definitely good to go for any of the brassicas, Asian greens, lettuces (under row covers when frost threatens), maybe even peas - especially snows & snaps.

I lived in the Bay Area for 2 years and as far as I am concerned, applying what I know from gardening here, I could have planted anything during any month of the year and gotten it to go unless it was day length sensitive.

It's still dropping down below 40 at night here and I am nursing corn, beans, and tomatos and hoping we get some warm weather soon.

Hi MissMel, I see you have a location of Orange County. I'm at the 57 and 60 freeways.. if you know where that's at.
Have fun planting.

In zone 22 there's almost never any frost. Maybe for an hour or 2 once every 5 years. And no, we can't plant our "winter", or cool weather vegetables now. They would die/bolt in the heat, which is actually at its worst in September.

It is just about too late to plant seeds now, though I just did plant bush bean seeds to replace my poor eggplants. Try it and see what happens. The trouble with planting now is that if you want to plant the cool weather vegies in the fall, around October or November, you don't want to have to take out summer vegies that are still producing. Though with cooler weather they wouldn't keep producing well anyway.

Just because it doesn't snow here doesn't mean that we can plant anything at any time. As I've said before, we do have seasons, though they may appear to be more subtle.

quote:

Originally posted by MissMel:
Thanks for your responses. They've been really helpful. You know, being knew to gardening, I've never paid much attention to "frosts" in Southern California where I live. In fact, I'm not even sure we have frosts. I think it's rare. Although shatbox, who lives about an hour from me, does mention frosts.
breezy, yeah, I never throw out seeds. I think they're precious. Also, I'm concerned about future food shortages, and perhaps an escalating price of seeds, so I keep them!!
tom, I'm so looking forward to the fall crops, especially broccoli, kale and other dark leafy greens.

Usually no frosts where you live.
Maybe higher up in those hills.
Go for it.

Cold weather tomatoes/ Hot weather tomatoes.
I got mine from Cal State Fullerton's arboretum.
I'll have to look into Territorial's seed catalog too.
Don't put all your efforts, only into one basket.

We maybe could have hot weather/Indian Summer through November ?
Hoping ?

Good Luck,
bill in socal

All depends on your zone. In Z6 is getting too late to even buy plants. Lowe's said they will not be getting any new food plants and it will be just flowers. All they have is some herbs and a few tomatoes.

I've found growing from seed very hard, but I'm a newbie. I'd suggest you look at the packs and see how long they take to harvest and take the seeds back for a refund if they are not going to be useable. You can try to plant few to learn about growing from seed if nothing else.

Garden 926, happy gardening to you to?? What are you growing?
bill, I've gone ahead and planted two things, pumpkin and yellow squash. If they have a short growing season, so be it. Cold weather tomatoes, huh? I didn't know about those. You say you got them from CSFU? Does CSFU have a lot of plants?

MissMel,

I have tomatoes, different kinds, squash green, japanense eggplant and black beauty (from last summer, didn't pull out and started flowering again, so just left it.
hubbard squash. last year one got to be 19 lbs.
oh and I have butter squash too.
Also MissMel I have 3 containers of worms, 3
(3x3) compost pile going .. once in while get in there and turn.

What do you have going.?
Somebody talked about growing the 3 sisters together. Corn, beans and squash? how do you get to the beans without stepping on squash? getting corn without stepping on something etc. ?



Keep them fingers dirty.
Garden