"As soon as soil is workable" ?

[smokensqueal]

Okay what does it mean when a package says "plant as soon as soil is workable"? I have some broccoli and lettuce packages that say just that. So does that mean this weekend when we have 3 days that hit 70 and the soil is thawed? I'm sure this stuff can take frost but how about a freeze because I'm sure there are still a few more good freezes (in the 20s) left.

Just for grins I might just do that this weekend.

[BrianSkilton]

Yeah, I am sure that is what it means. Broccoli can take cold very well, same with bok choy, and others. Depending on where you live, you should be able to plant Broccoli before the start of spring etc. Lets see what more experienced gardeners say.
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[elevenplants]

I have had my broccoli, onions and lettuce, also spinach and mustard out since mid-February, and they've all taken some 20 degree nights without too much damage....of course, I covered them with tarps and burlap on the coldest nights. Good luck!

Rebecca

[applestar]

When starting them indoors, the optimum recommended soil temp for germinating lettuce seeds is 65~72ºF and broccoli seeds is 68~75ºF. Johnny's seed catalog has a nifty line graph of seed germination guide temps for most veg's (as well as a fairly comprehensive growing instructions), so you might want to get yourself a free catalog.

Both lettuce and broccoli prefer cooler temp after they sprout, and they are supposed to be able to handle sub-freezing temp as long as the transplants have been hardened off and are protected like elevenplants said.

"as soon as soil is workable" -- frozen ground has to thaw first, then drain/dry a bit before the soil is "workable" You don't want to dig up mucky wet soil because plants need air molecules between soil particles, and digging in too wet soil can drive all the air out. "Workable" soil should be crumbly, clump together when you squeeze an handful together, then fall apart. If you're making mudballs and mudpies, the ground is too wet.

That's why some folks thoroughly prepare their early planting beds in the fall, then mulch them deep, so that at earliest opportunity, all they have to do is push the mulch aside and find ready to plant crumbly soil. Another way is to put down black plastic where you want to plant to warm up the soil.

[RayZorback]

I read somewhere... (I will be starting all of my post that way until I have my own experiences!) "As soon as the soil is workable" apparently means when the soil doesn't stick badly to your garden utensils, or when you pick up a clump in your hand and it easily crumbles apart.

Hope that helps.
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- RayZorback

GO HOGS!

[2cents]

I am not a dictionary of agricultural science and the previous posts all seem reasonable.
May I suggest it(as soon as ground is workable) is relative to the seed.
For lettuce, I rake the top inch, sprinkle seeds and pat with tines of the rake.
This may suggest "it" is only the top inch of the soil need be ready to be worked, based on the size of the seed.
Of course working the soil in the fall, incorporating OM deep will have been a benefit for this method.
Just a thought.
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IMHO

[smokensqueal]

Cool thanks everyone. I'll check it out this weekend. This past fall I mixed in a fair amount of OM and topped it off with a layer of leaves. About a month ago we had some warm days and I cleared off much of the leaves and was able to turn the soil with a fork. So it might be close to "workable" then. If not I may try the plastic thing for a week or so and see how that helps.

[jal_ut]

[rainbowgardener]

As noted, as soon as the soil is workable, means when the ground is thawed and not too wet. Yesterday we had our first nice day on the weekend (as a wage slave, my gardening currently is pretty dependent on how the weather matches up with weekends ) So I was out turning over the soil in one of my raised beds and it turned easily and fell apart into almost powder... very workable. Probably means I could have done it soone. Anyway I planted swiss chard, head lettuce, leaf lettuce mixture, spinach, and onions. It's in my cool weather bed, which is partly shaded. Later in the summer the cool weather stuff appreciates the shade. I just mixed all the above seeds together, mixed them with some dirt and spread them over the bed, no rows... YAY!! Things are planting and blooming (snowdrops, crocus).

Yes, here in zone 6, we will still get more frosts and/or snow. What I planted is cold hardy and should make it through. If there is frost coming once the seeds are up, I do cover the bed.

[Timlin]

another thought to add to the mix is that many seeds like to germinate warm and grow cold.

I start my earliest lettuce and that sort of thing indoors, harden off and transplant. I sprout my peas indoors and then plant out as soon as the ground is workable (some I even grow to transplant stage and they have a head start).

If you put in transplants as soon as the garden can be worked, then you can put in seeds, at the same time, and start your cycle of planting each 10 days allowing you nicely ripe veggies in a steady flow. (don't forget to include radish in this earliest planting and continued seeding each 10 days through the spring)

[smokensqueal]

GREAT! thanks for all the tips. I went out this weekend and sure enough my raised garden appeard to me as being ready. I did notice that 6 or 8 inches deep it was still REALLY wet but on top of that was really nice. That must of been the extra compost I threw in there last year in the fall doing it's part. I did plant a few little squares of lettuce, broccoli and spinich. We are suppose to have 2 days of rain so I'm going to hold off until after that to plant some radishes and maybe transplant a cabbage plant and start one from seed.

Thanks rainbowgardener I like hearing others from zone 6. I kept thinking I was doing things to early but it sounds like I might be doing it fine since we are in the same zones.

[applestar]

All this talk of planting early has left me eager to get started!
Although this in only the 3rd day that my baby starts have been allowed outside for a few hours, I've decided to go ahead and leave a few of them out in the garden... My 4'x4' extra-high raised bed is certainly "workable," but I wasn't going to start planting until this weekend... Thu and Fri's lows are supposed to be down to 25ºF and 27ºF... after that, average lows will stay in the 30's, mostly hovering above freezing.

Anyway, I've planted out 1@ broccoli and cauliflower seedlings and 1 lettuce seedling, as well as one of the 1 mo old lettuce starts. I suspect that one's going to be the most vulnerable to freezing. I gave them hotcaps of cut off gallon jug top, 2qt bottle top, 2qt bottle bottom, and one 2qt bottle cylinder, then tucked a summerweight floating cover 4"~6" above them (looks way too flimsy to provide much protection...) and provided a windscreen on all 4 sides.... I also devised a hoop structure over a 4'x10' raised bed (so hopefully, this weekend, I can come up with a way to cover them with plastic sheeting that gusty spring winds won't blow away) AND I confess I went ahead and sowed some peas yesterday.

It's plain craziness -- all I have to do is wait a few more days!!! "obsessively and addictively contagious" is what this is!