Ok, I'm in Lincoln, NE, which is zone 5a.
If we wanted to try some spinach and cabbage, and also get some garlic planted for next year's harvest...
we should plant these about 12 weeks before the first frost date?
That's probably already here...the garlic I know is not as big a deal, but the leafy stuff would be fun to learn to grow, but I don't want another epic fail like my radishes and carrots (too much clay in soil, too much nitrogen).
thoughts? anyone in my zone want to chime in?
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applestar
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- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
I think cabbage might be too late. Spinach, on the other hand, they won't get fully grown but you could harvest as baby spinach or smaller sized leaves as well as put some protection over them as frost starts -- floating covers is usually the most recommended. Floating cover alone for light frost, doubled for heavier, then leaves or straw on top of that as it gets to freezing weather. They won't grow but they can keep for a while.
Garlic in the northern states should be planted with spring bulbs... Around Columbus Day to early November for me here in Zone 6b. You don't want the garlic to get too much top growth but have chance to set down roots and get established. you need to get long day varieties suited foe northern latitudes. They should be deeply mulched before hard freeze to protect the small amount of top growth.
Where winters are less severe, I believe you are supposed to plant earlier and let them get as much growth as they can before winter because the tops will not be freeze killed.
Garlic in the northern states should be planted with spring bulbs... Around Columbus Day to early November for me here in Zone 6b. You don't want the garlic to get too much top growth but have chance to set down roots and get established. you need to get long day varieties suited foe northern latitudes. They should be deeply mulched before hard freeze to protect the small amount of top growth.
Where winters are less severe, I believe you are supposed to plant earlier and let them get as much growth as they can before winter because the tops will not be freeze killed.
I agree that you're probably too late for the cabbage, but I'd say that if you planted soon, you'd be able to get a fair harvest.
As for the garlic bulbs, you are good to go. I'd say put in the cloves about beginning of October to the middle.
Plant them with the pointed ends pointing up and about 3 in. underground. Space them 4-6 in. apart.
Good luck
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As for the garlic bulbs, you are good to go. I'd say put in the cloves about beginning of October to the middle.
Plant them with the pointed ends pointing up and about 3 in. underground. Space them 4-6 in. apart.
Good luck
.Here in Michigan I'm using the rest of the season to experiment since I'm new to gardening. Beginning of August I planted spinach, but the birds got most of them. The few that eluded the birds stopped growing and I believe it is because of heat. I just threw some seeds in a shadey spot a week ago that gets some sun only for a couple hours a day but the sun is coming through a tree. They pooped up fast and are growing pretty good since we've got a little break on the daytime heat and quite a bit cooler at night. Next year I will be growing spinach and maybe more leafy greens early and in shade of other plants. I plan on building an A frame trellis for beans and growing spinach under the trellis to get some shade.
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