Sow it Goes

Time to think about sowing cool season crops! Photo by Arnaldo Aldana on Unsplash

This Week’s Sale: 25% off ALL* plants and bagged EarthMix® Garden™ PLUS 75% off 4P Annuals & Herbs

I’m going to give you the gift of looking forward in joyful anticipation. While the mercury may still be nearing the top of the thermometer, we now get the good fortune of looking towards Fall. My favorite thing about the volunteer pumpkin that sprouted in my yard is the constant reminder that cooler temperatures lie ahead. Yes, Autumn is coming, and it’s a wonderful time to start considering your cool season garden. If you’ve planted tomatoes for years but haven’t tried your hand at the other growing season, we encourage you to give it a try. Start small, and the smallest way to start is with a seed.

Seeds can be intimidating. They’re incredibly economical, but some can present more of a challenge to germinate. One method that’s gaining popularity involves a common first aid implement you likely already have at home, hydrogen peroxide. Gardeners have seen success with soaking difficult to germinate seeds in a diluted peroxide mixture for half an hour. If you want to learn more about this process, Benedict Vanheems has an excellent informative article on GrowVeg that breaks down the peroxide soak, as well as other popular germination methods.

Now is a great time to pull out your seed stash and get an idea of what you want to plant. Some of our Fall favorites, like cabbage and brussels sprouts, can take up to 100 days of maturity. Leeks can take up to 120. Here’s where we look forward with jubilation. Time to think about our first frost date. Seriously! Many cold season crops taste better after a kiss of frost. That sounds pretty refreshing right about now. Rejoice in the coming seasonal changes. Before you know it, you’ll be putting out the pansies.

That’s it for this week, friends. Tune into Gardening Inside Out Saturdays at 8 am. Queue up the podcast and listen to the latest Gardening Snacks. Follow our Instagram for inspiration on the go. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates

*Sale is for Bates Rewards Members only, Japanese maples and Houseplants are excluded, in store only, through 7/30/26