another beginner question-

[betsey]

hi everyone-

i'm in southern NJ (in land, not coastal). What would be some good veggies to direct sow???

thanks so much

betsey

[simy1]

in which season, for which harvest, in which soil?

[betsey]

oh my goodness...

planting season...spring/summer...harvest-summer/fall. soil is top soil with a clay base...yes, i know, it needs amending!

i'm just not sure i want to get into starting indoors and then transplanting...

betsey

[Steve Calvin]

I tried doing that and the cat had a field day with the chutes. Good roughage for her though I suppose. ;-)

Now I go to the local nursery and buy plants pre-started and just plant 'em in the garden.

I have a small area. I usually plant garlic (but that's planted in the fall), tomatoes, bell peppers, cukes, and maybe a summer squash plant. That's about all I have room for. The squash is done from seed.

In the past, I have done radishes, beets and broccoli. You should be able to grow about anything in that area.

I'm in growing zone 5a/b (Poughkeepsie, New York)

As for soil prep, I just till it up well, go to the nursery and get bags of composted cow manure and then till that in. It has a VERY slight odor and only for a day or two when you're close to it. My garden always does extremely well.

[simy1]

There are many veggies that are best direct seeded. Beets, carrots (though I would wait on the carrots until after two or three years, when your soil will be lighter - if you keep amending it), chard, beans and peas of all sorts, favas, kale, garlic (if your soil is not too wet, to be sure make it a slightly raised bed), potatoes, lettuce, most smaller greens (arugula, tatsoi, mache) , onions (same considerations as carrots), all manners of chicory. If this list is insufficient, I could think of others. Basically, anything with a taproot, anything small, and most things large-seeded.

You could have two crops if you manage it well, as I do from most of my garden, all from direct seeding, if you are in full sun and have an average NJ summer. If you can cover with a hoophouse, you could direct seed even the summer vegetables (zucchini,cukes, tomato, melons) one month ahead of the regular schedule. In fact, in the old days everything was direct seeded. I use transplants only in conjunction with mulch, so that weeding is eliminated. If you plan to leave your soil bare, I see no reason to fumble with dirty pots in March inside the house.