When can I start planting vegetable seeds in Calgary?

There are lots of easy to grow vegetables for Calgary zone 3.  Someday when I am done the major projects in the rest of the yard, and when those raised beds are done, I will grow more vegetables myself, but for now I choose the easy route.  I only start tomatoes inside because they need a head start, and the rest of my veggies are ones that are easy to grow by sowing them directly in the ground when it's warm enough.  I also only grow veggies that are really worth the space, which is at a premium in my shady yard:  carrots, peas, beans, lettuce, spinach all taste infinitely better picked fresh that those tasteless facsimiles at the grocery store.  I also grew pumpkins last year but decided they take up too much space.

Here is a schedule for planting these as well as many other vegetables with times for seeding indoors, transplanting outside, and seeding directly outside.  I copied it with some modifications from The Calgary Gardener, a must-have book by the Calgary Horticultural Society.

Recommended reading: Garden Rant Rules for Beginning Vegetable Gardeners

Comments

[michelle]

I just saw sunnyside natural market in kensington sells High M
owing organic seeds (100% organic) that look good, going to go there today!

[Claire Owens]

Oh Michelle, thanks for posting that... I'm going to get the rest of my seeds at Sunnyside Natural Market.

I am a beginner and started my tomato seedlings mid-March and they started out really leggy (I don't have indoor lighting so I was depending on my very sunny west facing windows) so I transplanted them into bigger pots and planted the roots really deep - up to the first leaves. They're starting to become a bit more hardy so I hope some of them make it. They're really hairy though... is that a good or a bad thing? And do you have any other suggestions for how to help my little tomatoes? :)

Also, I've planeted some hot pepper seedlings and they aren't growing as fast as the tomatoes did... are they good to plant in containers? I don't think they're great in Calgary, but they're my hubby's favourite so I figured I would try.

[Carlos]

I purchased an indoor mini green house from Canadian tire ( $ 30.00) the best idea ever, I put it by the window with the zipper closed for 3 days, now I just close it at night, open during the day and magic happened. Good luck gardeners, the sun is finally out.