Written and edited by Tammy 18th February 2024
A common question I’m asked is “what veggies can I plant right now?” and in all honesty right now in February for our region, the lower SE of South Australia, (climate zone 6) I would have to say not a whole lot.
I could give you suggestions and recommendations for things to plant, (which I will still do) but I can also do things a little different and give you a list of vegetables you wouldn't plant right now and more importantly, why.
You’ll still find most of these seedlings available now, and the reason being that in some Zones it's quite likely still fine.
Side note: If you're lucky enough to have a hothouse, (a controlled environment) you're 'off the hook', I'm essentially referring to planting seedlings out into the ground, exposed to the elements.
Warm Season Veggies
Warm season vegetables, planted in Spring, grow right throughout the warmer months.
By now these plants should be mature and you should be harvesting produce from them.
Cucumbers
tomatoes
zucchinis
capsicums
Chillies
If you do come across these veggie seedlings I wouldn't recommend planting them now.
Most warm season vegetables take between 2-5 months from the time of sowing to being able to harvest them.
Being that we're only weeks away from the beginning of Autumn, if you planted them now, you would run out of warmth and day length to see them through to maturity let alone harvest anything from them.
Cool Season Veggies
Cool season vegetables are planted in Autumn once the worst of the hot weather has finished, and the days become cooler and shorter. They grow throughout the cooler months taking anywhere from 2-3 months depending on the variety, to reach maturity.
Brussel sprouts
Broccoli
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Beetroot
Despite these seedlings being available now, me personally, for our region I'd still hold off on planting them out into the ground for another month yet.
I say that because we still potentially have a few more weeks yet where our daytime temperatures can be into the mid 30s, (take this coming week for example) that's a bit too warm for little cool season seedlings.
By mid to late March, we begin to see the day lengths shorten, and a decrease in the daytime temperatures, they will have a far better chance of getting off to a good start.
**Tip- if you've got seeds now is the perfect opportunity over the coming weeks to germinate your own seedlings.
Grab yourself a propagation starter kit, some seed raising mix and set them up in a sunny North facing spot. I'm about to do just that with the Survival Seeds I purchased and showed you a few weeks ago.
If you missed it, check it out here Survival Seeds
Find out what climate zone you're in, It'll help you to establish what to grow and when.
But just remember it's a guide, not gospel. Look for the clues in Mother Nature too,
she speaks louder than we give her credit for.
Take notice of the changing leaves on the trees and 'that feel' of Autumn is in the air.
Here's hoping you all had a lovely weekend.
As always
Happy Gardening😘🍅
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