Peppers need 8–10 weeks indoors before transplant. Tomatoes need 6–8. Starting both in March puts Zones 5–7 on schedule — but the exact week depends on the zone, and getting it wrong costs 2–4 weeks of harvest. Across USDA Zones 5 through 7, average last frost dates fall between late April and late May. That … Read more

A mild afternoon means nothing if the soil is still cold, wet, and slow. Iowa State Extension notes that cool-season vegetables that are direct-sown can go in once soil temperatures reach about 50°F, and it explicitly warns not to work garden soil when it is overly wet. That matters because early spring failures are often … Read more

Unsupported peas lose 30–40% of harvestable pods to ground rot and pest damage. Here are three proven support methods, ranked by performance, with setup instructions for March and April planting. Pea tendrils begin reaching for support within 10–14 days of emergence. Without a structure in place at sowing time, vines collapse under their own weight … Read more

Onion sets go in the ground as soon as soil is workable — weeks before last frost. Early planting produces larger bulbs because onions need maximum leaf growth before lengthening days trigger bulbing. Onion bulb size depends directly on how large the plant is when day length reaches the bulbing threshold — roughly 14 hours … Read more