Read Part I: Assessing Your Soil.
Part II. Seeds and Transplants.
If you planned on starting your own transplants from seeds, you’re a bit behind for this year. However, the schedule below details the best dates for starting transplants; use it in subsequent years, or to determine whether you should purchase seedlings or try it from scratch.
Early March: onions, cabbage, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, morning glory, cypress vine, sweet sultans, summer savory
Mid-March: hollyhock, snapdragon, cosmos, garden pinks, foxglove, HO-65 annual plants
Late March: Peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, zinnia, celosia, gloriosy daisy, marigold, strawflower, sweet basil
Early April: verbena, salvia, moss rose, oregano, marjoram, sage, caraway, aster, dahlia, carnation, garden pinks
Mid-April: Melons (watermelons, muskmelons) and squash – zucchini, yellow summer, and autumn squashes (butternut, acorn, etc)
1. Plant seeds in containers filled with potting soil. Place seeds under fluorescent grow-lights, 5-8” from seedlings. Let lamps shine 14-16 hours per day (mimicking the daylight outside).
2. After the second round of leaves appear, fertilize with a liquid product such as 20-20-20; then fertilize again two weeks later.
3. Earliest outdoor planting dates:
Vegetables
• March 7th (second week): Peas and spinach
• March 15th (third week): Hardy greens (collards, mustard), onions, turnips, rutabagas, radishes
• March 20th: Asparagus, beets, carrots, chard, kale, kohlrabi, parsnips
• March 25th: Cabbage, lettuce, onions
• April 7th: Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, celery
• April 20th: Sweet corn
Fruits
• Early March: Prune nut trees
• Mid-March: Plant new fruit trees in well-drained, sunny locations
• Late March: Prune apple and pear trees
• Early April: Plant strawberries
• Late April: Prune grapes
Special Thanks: Boone County Extension Services; Burlington, KY
Photos from here and here