My North Texas Planting Calendar (The "Valentine's & Easter" Rule)

[Mike]

I see a lot of complicated planting charts online with exact dates for every single vegetable. If that works for you, great. But out here in Vernon, TX (Zone 7b/8a), I keep it simple.

I basically live my gardening life by two holidays: Valentine's Day and Easter. Of course there are a few exceptions, especially if it's still freezing on Easter, but this is a general rule for me.

Here is my rough schedule for the year. I’d love to hear how this compares to your schedule, especially if you are further south or around the Red River.

Phase 1: Valentine's Day. Around February 14th is my official "green light" to get the first round in the ground.

• Onions: This is non-negotiable.
• Broccoli: I go ahead and plant these from seed now.
• Potatoes: If I plant them, they go in now. To be honest, I usually skip potatoes because they take up so much valuable real estate in my garden and we just don't eat enough of them to justify the space. Has anyone tried those stacked potato boxes to save space? I've been dying to try that. I'd be curious to know how well they actually work from someone who isn't a YouTuber.

Phase 2: Easter. I wait until Easter weekend to put the rest of the garden in. I know the date of Easter changes every year, but it usually lines up pretty well with our soil warming up enough to wake things up.

• Tomatoes: Transplants go in.
• The Seeds: I put my okra, squash, zucchini, and cucumbers in the ground right around then.
• The Coles: If I can still find good seedlings for cauliflower and cabbage at the store, I'll sneak them in now, too.

Phase 3: The fall garden (please help me!). Here is where I need your advice. I have never successfully pulled off a fall garden. I’ve tried a few times, but the heat usually wins, or I just time it wrong.

For those of you in north Texas, who actually get a harvest in October/November, when are you planting? Are you starting seeds indoors in August? Direct sowing in September?

Let me know what your calendar looks like!