ASK FLORA January 2024
by Sage & Snow Garden Club
January 10, 2024
Dear Flora,
After the holiday season is over, I always look forward to my favorite winter activities—garden planning & seed purchasing!
Nothing helps me more in this process than receiving seed catalogs in the mail for the upcoming growing season. Can you advise me on some of your favorite companies to order seeds from?
Sincerely,
Sara Seedy
Dear Sara,
You are so right! Dreaming and planning for next year’s garden is such a great way to weather our long winter season.
It is always a good idea to get your seeds ordered early so that you can purchase the varieties that you really want to plant.
Most companies have online catalogs or you can request a catalog thru the mail. Here are some of my favorite seed companies—
Johnny’s Selected Seeds --www.johnnyseeds.com
Territorial Seed Company— www.territorialseed.com
Pinetree Garden Seeds—www.superseed.com (small packets at lower prices)
Our local stores always carry great seeds too! It may be a few months before they receive their inventories.
Save some of your own seed and trade with a gardening friend!
Dear Flora,
I am new to gardening and would like to start. What are some easy vegetables for me to grow?
Cordially,
Eazie Peazie
Dear Eazie,
When starting a vegetable garden for the first time ask yourself the question, "How much time and energy are you willing to dedicate to gardening?" Planting short season crops that grow and mature quickly are usually best for those new to gardening. These types of crops help prevent a new gardener from becoming discouraged with crops that wither and die or do not produce anything edible before the first frost. You usually can’t go wrong with green onions, radishes, turnips (especially Japanese Hakurei), kale, spinach, peas, or lettuce in Sublette County. They all germinate quickly in the spring and with a little tender loving care, usually begin producing within four to six weeks. Potatoes are another option that grows well in Sublette County.
Dear Flora,
How do you decide which varieties of seed will grow best in Sublette County? I haven’t had the best luck with my seed selection in the last few years…
Wondering,
Donna Early
Dear Donna,
This is a great question. Seed selection can make or break your harvest—especially in our extreme growing climate (mostly Zone 3 here in Sublette County).
Here are a few tips:
Choose varieties that mature early for our short growing season. Early varieties produce best at high altitudes.
"Days to harvest" figures should be printed on the backside of seed packets and are useful when selecting crops to grow in a short season. It is recommended to look for cultivars of plants that mature in 50—75 days.
Consider implementing season-extending techniques to extend your growing season. Greenhouses, hoop houses, and raised beds with covers can extend seasons to allow gardeners to grow a greater variety of plants. Look for small microclimates in your yard that might help to extend your season.
Start seedlings weeks ahead of time indoors. This is absolutely necessary for warm weather crops like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and peppers. Cold weather crops like cabbage and broccoli need to be started from seed indoors to be successful here, too. Or, purchase seedlings to transplant from a local nursery.
Do your own research. Our libraries have some great books on starting seeds indoors and saving your own seed. UW
Extension’s website is another great resource at www.uwyo.edu/barnbackyard/resources/gardening. I also like to read their magazine, "Barnyards & Backyards," available online, at our local library, or the Sublette Extension Office to read articles about growing in Wyoming.
Experiment each year and record your successes (and your less than successful trials). Trial and error is the best way to learn…
Talk to a local garden club member or request Arlinda’s master list of "tried & true" seed varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers for Sublette County.
Dear Flora,
There are so many types of tomatoes; I’m having a hard time figuring out which variety to choose. Could you recommend some favorites from local home gardeners in Sublette County?
Tom Roma
Dear Tom,
There are two main types of tomatoes—with lists of some local favorites:
Determinate tomatoes are compact bushy plants, perfect for growing in a raised bed or container. Favorite determinate varieties are:
Gold Nugget - yellow cherry – 56 days – Johnny’s Seeds
Koralik - red cherry – 60 days – Territorial Seeds
Glacier - 2 inch slicer – 55 days – Johnny’s Seeds
Mountain Merit - 3 inch slicer – 75 days – Territorial Seeds
Celebrity - 2 inch slicer – 70 days – Park Seeds
Indeterminate tomatoes are tall and vining, perfect for growing in raised beds or in ground beds. Favorite indeterminate tomatoes are:
Sun Gold - yellow cherry – 57 days – Johnny’s Seeds
Super Sweet 100 - red cherry – 60 days – Johnny’s Seeds
Stupice – 2 inch slicer – Territorial Seeds
Jetsetter – 3 inch slicer – Totally Tomatoes
Early Girl – 2-3 inch slicer – Johnny’s Seeds
Dear Flora,
I would like to learn more about gardening in Sublette County—especially ways to extend the growing season? Do you have any resources for me?
Ever Grateful,
Sage Snow
Dear Sage,
Once again you are in luck! Aren’t we lucky to garden in Sublette County?
The Sage and Snow Garden Club is partnering with Sublette BOCES to host two gardening workshops: "Making Raised and In-Ground Gardening Beds and Planting Perennials (such as asparagus and raspberries) That Thrive in Sublette County" on Saturday, February 24th from 9AM—12Noon, and "Planting in Containers and Growing Annuals (such as lettuce and radishes) That Thrive in Sublette County" on Saturday, April 13th from 9AM-12Noon. Register at www.subletteboces.com.
Sage and Snow Garden Club—Arlinda McLaughlin has a wealth of information that she is willing to share, contact her at 307-231-9402 or ajmclaughlin47@gmail.com. For more information about club activities/membership, go to our website at https://www.sageandshowgardenclub.org/.
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