Park Seed Garden Journal

If today’s Park Seed Blog Question of the Day! had been more timely we would be forced to do it as a public service announcement. If you haven’t ordered your strawberry plants yet, get to it. Spring will not wait on us.

And todays Park Seed Blog Question of the Day!

“When are you supposed to plant strawberries?”

I took this one to our other staff horticulturist. At first his answer seemed simple, “anytime in the spring” but he followed that up with “it is different for different plants and depends on where you are.”

Oh. Here’s the long version of his answer after I probed a little deeper.

Plant your strawberries as soon after the last frost as you can. You want strong established plants before warm weather comes. If you live in the South, your plants should probably be in the ground by the early days of March. Most of the country should have planted by March or April.

There are two different types of strawberry plants, June or Spring-Bearing and ever-bearing. Ever-bearing plants can be broken down into two more categories, double-bloomers and day-neutrals. The June bearers grow all summer, bloom in Autumn and fruit in Spring. They produce the largest fruits and are the most common variety. Double-bloomers fruit in spring and fall, but there is much less fruit and it is much smaller. Day-neutrals bloom and run as long as the temperature is about 35 degrees, which produces more fruit than the double-bloomers, but still less than the June-bearers.

So, if you are planning on getting some strawberries in the ground this year, you might want to plan on purchasing those babies pretty soon.

By now, many tomato plants are getting pretty big– most of the ones in our Garden Center are already over a foot tall. My own seedlings are probably bigger than that. If you want to grow tomatoes this year, it’s not too late. For many, spring is just starting.

For most of us who don’t have a greenhouse or enclosed patio, we have a limited window of opportunity for growing our tomato plants outside. I have a friend, a fellow Park Seed employee, who grows fruits and vegetables year round in a glassed in patio. I guess you would call it a “sun room” or “conservatory” if you wanted to be really fancy. His air-hockey table prevents me from using any of those words– even “patio” might be a little to high-class for this space. But, it is perfect for year-round, homegrown produce. There is nothing quite like a tomato sandwich from a freshly picked tomato in the middle of December.

I guess many people will grow their tomato plants and other goodies inside. You could use grow lights, a greenhouse, or a sun room and grow many of your garden vegetables in containers if you have the space. It allows you to start flower seed, tomato seed, or any vegetable seed any time of the year.

If you are looking to grow some tomato plants, park seed is the perfect place to get them. We also still have plenty of tomato seed, if you want to try to start from seed this late in the year. Maybe you can grow them in your conservatory.

Click here to see Park Seed’s complete list: Park Seed Tomato Plants

Thomas
Park Seed Company

If you’ve started putting your spring garden together, you should check out Park Seeds new additions to the “internet-only” line. These new items are only available online at parkseed.com. The three brand new arrivals include two dianthus and the intriguing “pincushion flower.”

The break-out star of this little group is the Dianthus Ideal Violet. This internet exclusive is one of five All-America Selections Classics in the world, and it will never disappoint. Ideal Violet was the first dianthus to ever win the AAS Bedding Plant Award. This will be the first time we have ever offered this plant– in the past Park Seed has only carried Ideal Violet seeds.

The other Dianthus, Velvet and Lace is a one of a kind beauty with a really interesting look. It reminds me a little of red velvet cake, with the center of the petals, the “velvet” being the cake and the edges, the “lace,” being the icing. It is one delicious looking flower.

And finally, the Pincushion Flower has a cute name and an exotic look. This is one of those plants that will really draw attention to your garden.