Frost Dates and Growing Seasons

• Every plant needs a certain number of days to grow to maturity, and this growth needs to occur between the last frost date in the spring and the first frost date in the fall. Frost kills most plants, so your vegetables need to be planted between these two dates. Find out the frost dates in your particular area by checking with the county extension service or by reading the Farmers' Almanac.
  
  

First Roots of the Year

• Most gardeners are eager to get out in the garden and start planting vegetables as soon as the weather begins to warm up. Depending on your soil, this can be a big mistake. Working soil that hasn't thawed and drained completely can compact it, creating a garden more akin to a parking lot than to nice loam. Root vegetables especially need loose soil so they can grow and expand. Wait until after your last frost date in the spring, then check your garden soil for readiness. Grab a handful of dirt and give it a squeeze into a ball. Open your hand and try to flick the ball apart. If it crumbles like cake crumbs, it's ready. If it stays in a mud ball, wait a week and try again.
  
  

Through the Season

• Vegetables with shorter growing seasons, like carrot, green onion and radish, are over so quickly that you have the opportunity to plant them over again right after harvest. The best way to keep a continuous supply of these foods is to plant a short row or block with just enough seed to supply about a week's worth of food. One week later, plant another short row or block. Continue this throughout the planting season and you'll have a small amount of fresh vegetables all summer long.
  
  

Storage Vegetables

• Root vegetables are very prolific for the small amount of land they use. Many people take advantage of this by growing a larger crop at the end of the season to put into cold storage for the coming months. Check your seed packets to find out the recommended growing time to maturity for each vegetable. Count back that many days from the first frost date in the fall in your area, then add one week. This will tell you when to safely plant your seeds to get the last crop of the year without it being frozen out. The summer sun will get your plants off to a good start, and the roots will continue to grow underground during the fall until right before the frost.