PGIF (Peas Go in First) Spring Planting

Bob Bauer

February 04, 2020 (Last Updated: April 04, 2023) | Reading Time: 2 minutes

Green Peas on Black Round Plate

February 04, 2020

PGIF. (Peas Go In First) Spring planting is hearlded by the planting of the peas. It's traditionally a February 3rd event that is slowly getting moved forward because of the warming of the climate. As soon as I got mine planted a wave of cold air arrived with freezes in the forecast for a week. It shouldn't bother them in the ground an inch deep but it will slow germination down..

I don't want them to even have a slight chance of rotting in the ground so I've moved my mini greenhouses over them. I even banked the soil around the bottoms to keep out cold air like I do to keep out sow bugs. The seeds are unaware of the hostile exterior environment and are comfortably soaking up moisture to begin an amazing display of life. I look forward to watching them grow..

February 05, 2020

Every time the sun pokes out from behind a cloud I think about how it's warming the inside of the pea houses and spinach tunnel. They have to get prepared for an evening temp in the low twenties tonight so every little bit helps. I got the spinach planted "by the book" this year. Half inch deep and one inch apart because I want to maximize my yield. It's recommended to thin when they are two inches tall, to 4-6" apart, but I don't think I will..

Spinach hedges are one of my favorite garden delights, and picking by the handful is what gardening is all about. February sees the garden activity picking up. Our local nursery will have Cole crops in six packs available for planting out in the middle of this month..

February 06, 2020

It got down to 18ÃÂ° last night and the artichokes wilted. The cauliflower in the greenhouse wilted too. That's cold. I hope my pea and spinach seeds are ok. No freezes are in the forecast now, so maybe the worst is over. I'm ready for spring..

So is the land with sprouts, buds, bugs, weeds and plants wanting warmth. The sunshine keeps us hopeful, then the nightimes let us down. Temperature has a lot more affect on us old folks than when we were young, and we can feel it in our bones and psyche. The cold nights have slowed down my tray of spring starts and they don't look like they will be ready for February 15th planting out. I'm ok with that because it feels too early this year after last night's deep freeze..

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