▷ Sowing calendar for early harvest in the greenhouse: we sow from February

The sowing calendar starts even when it’s cold outside! But you don’t have to wait for heating: you can start sowing the first vegetables in the greenhouse as early as February. Don’t stop at radishes, we have other unexpected ideas! With cable “Here is my garden” we visited Rasa and Andriaus “Bačkoni Ecological Farm” in the Kaišiadori district, to find out what is worth sowing as early as February-March, so that you can harvest before the tomato seedlings are planted.

You will receive lots of practical advice on growing vegetables in our distance learning courses “Modern garden”. These training courses are conducted by the expert teacher Dr. Ingė Auželiene, so you can feel comfortable applying her advice to your garden.

When to start sowing

It’s hard to know when to start planting because it’s still cold outside. But the outside temperature is not our main indicator.

According to Rasa, the first planting work in the greenhouse can begin when the day length reaches ten hours, usually around February 20. This will ensure that the shoots receive enough light.

Does it look like it will freeze? For early vegetables a little frost is not a problem. But if the negative pressure is stronger, the plants should be covered with agricultural film. One layer reduces the effect of the cold by up to 5 degrees. This means that in case of severe frosts it is recommended to use 2-3 layers of agricultural film.

Calendar for sowing first fruits in the greenhouse

Here is Rasa’s schedule on what, when and how to sow in the early spring in the greenhouse:

Radishes

When to sow? From the end of February (around the 20th). You can reseed every two weeks.
How to maintain? If the frost is intense, use agrofilm: radishes are more sensitive to intense frost. Fertile soil enriched with biohumus is important.

Do not sow radishes in summer, because the days are too long for them, the radishes will not be tasty and will quickly become inflorescences. In the second half of summer you can sow radishes again for a second harvest in autumn.

Spinach

When to sow? From the end of February (around the 20th).
How to maintain? Spinach loves cooler weather and doesn’t require much maintenance. Provide fertile soil and regular watering.

Don’t sow them too late either, they don’t like summer heat. Dew also sometimes plants them in the fall and harvests very early in the spring.

Peas

When to sow? At the beginning of March. Dew is sown on March 8th.
How to maintain? Choose shorter, shorter-growing varieties to harvest by mid-May. Rosa’s favorite variety is ‘Sugar Snap’. Especially when grown in spring, when the sun is not so hot, peas are sweet and juicy.

You can also sow peas normally in the field later (explained in detail here), but now let’s talk about sowing in a greenhouse. So we confirm: Rasa recommends sowing short-growing peas in the greenhouse on March 8, so that you can harvest before the tomato seedlings are planted in the greenhouse.

Beetroot (chard)

When to sow? From the end of February (around the 20th).
How to maintain? Sow at the edge of the greenhouse. You’ll start eating leafy beets early, but when it’s time to sprout the tomato, you won’t need to uproot the beets. You can let them grow longer, until the tomatoes become large enough to make it difficult to reach the beets.

I do the same with carrots – you can read here.

Dill

When to sow? End of February – beginning of March.
How to maintain? Dill loves moisture, so it is important to ensure regular watering. Choose varieties that do not bloom so quickly – this is written on the package. When sowing it is necessary to save the seed and water it abundantly so that it germinates.