Viewing post #797576 by RickCorey

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Feb 24, 2015 12:40 PM CST
Name: Rick Corey
Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a)
Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f
Frugal Gardener Garden Procrastinator I helped beta test the first seed swap Plant and/or Seed Trader Seed Starter Region: Pacific Northwest
Photo Contest Winner: 2014 Avid Green Pages Reviewer Garden Ideas: Master Level Garden Sages I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! I helped plan and beta test the plant database.
I used to use grit instead of coarse Perlite for opening up a dense or fine-grained seedling mix. Now I use screened bark and relatively little peat.

>> So, would you suggest I go to a garden store & ask them for advice on what to plant?

That really depends on the people at the store! They might just give you things they want to sell. I would never ask "does this grow well here", because they know that a "no" answer means No Sale. But if you have several things in mind, and they expect that you are going to buy something, they might steer you towards things that have a better chance.

If people here recommended a place, you should get good advice there.

I would pick things I like, then ask around to see if it does well here.

Also, window-shopping neighbors' gardens can tell you what grows well and what looks good to your eye. What better way to introduce yourself to a new neighbor than to say "I really like the looks of those -what are they? Do they need pampering?" That may also tell you how experienced a gardener they are. If a plant grows well in a yard where no one spends any time pampering it, it MUST be easy to grow.

My guess about getting moss out of the lawn is that killing moss may not be very easy (don't they sell some copper salt for that? Yuck!) Like horsetails, the best way to discourage moss is to gradually make the soil favorable to something else. I don't think moss can compete with grass if the soil is fair, and drains well, and there is sun, not shade.

But if you have deep shade and non-draining soil or conditions that discourage grass, maybe you'd be better off encouraging some ATTRACTIVE mosses and let the grass die off.

>> I would love to grow some tomatoes & I would have them planted already in AZ. I don't know what to plant when.


>> Will it still freeze here?

Where I am, closer to the coast, my "average last frost date" is or used to be April 8. This winter was very warm, so you might think we're already past the last frost. I had a very light frost last night. Inland, I would expect more temperature extremes, hence yes, I would EXPECT some more light frosts. That would not bother snow peas or many cool weather crops. Sometimes you can direct-sow seeds and they won't sprout until the weather is right for them ... or they will rot in the wet cold soil, or sprout and then freeze.

I'm still figuring that out, mainly by planting out later than is ideal, which goes well with my procrastination. I think every crop, flower and shrub is different.

We have a micro-badge for garden procrastinators!

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