====== Garden: Seed-Starting (2026 Plan) ====== This page documents your full 2026 seed-starting and planting schedule for Sanford, NC (Zone 7b/8a), including all tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, squash, and all timing we planned. ==== Overview ==== Location: Sanford, NC — Zone 7b/8a Indoor Starts: Tomatoes & peppers Direct Sown: Cucumbers, zucchini, yellow squash Main Beds: Tomatoes → 2 beds (4×8 each) Peppers → 1 bed (4×8) Cucumbers → Edges of 2 beds on ramp trellis Squash → 1 bed (4×8) ==== Week-by-Week Seed Starting Schedule ==== === February 1–15 — Start Peppers Indoors === Sweet Bells Jalafuego King Arthur Red Knight Big Bertha Sweet Banana Seed Details Depth: ¼" Germination: 7–14 days Heat Mat: Yes (80–85°F) === February 15 – March 1 — Start Tomatoes Indoors === Tomatoes (Indeterminate + Determinate mix) Tropic Amelia Mountain Rouge Mountain Merit Celebrity Roma VF Mountain Magic (fence-row) Seed Details Depth: ¼" Germination: 5–10 days Heat Mat: Recommended (75–80°F) === March 10–20 — Potting Up (Indoors) === Pot tomatoes & peppers up into 4" pots Tomatoes: bury stems deep Peppers: do not bury stems deeper === April 5–15 — Harden Off Tomatoes === Start with 1–2 hours shade Slowly increase sun exposure Protect from wind and cold nights === April 10–20 — Harden Off Peppers === Same process — slower because peppers are heat-sensitive === April 15–25 — Transplant Tomatoes Outdoors === Requires night temps ≥ 50°F Install trellises before planting === April 25 – May 5 — Transplant Peppers Outdoors === Requires night temps ≥ 55°F Install stakes immediately (bells get heavy) === April 20 – May 10 — Direct Sow Cucumbers (Round 1) === Varieties: Diva County Fair Improved Depth: ½–¾" Location: Base of the ramp trellis === May 1–15 — Direct Sow Zucchini & Yellow Squash === Varieties: Dunja Zucchini Multipik Yellow Squash Depth: 1" Spacing: 36–40" Training: Vertical once 12–18" tall === July 10–20 — Replant Cucumbers (Round 2) === Varieties: Replant Diva Replant County Fair Improved Extends harvest into fall ==== Quick Timeline Overview ==== Month Tasks February Start peppers (1–15), start tomatoes (15–Mar 1) March Pot up seedlings (10–20) April Harden off (5–20), transplant tomatoes (15–25), transplant peppers (25–May 5), sow cucumbers (20–May 10) May Direct sow zucchini & squash (1–15) July Replant cucumbers (10–20) ==== Final 2026 Pepper List (4×8 Bed) ==== Total Plants: 12 Sweet Bells (10 plants total) 2 × Red Knight (F1) 2 × King Arthur (F1) 2 × California Wonder 300 2 × Big Bertha (F1) 2 × Sweet Banana Jalapeños (2 plants total) 2 × Jalafuego (F1) Spacing 18" between plants 24" between rows Bed fits 2 rows × 6 plants Support Stakes or cages Bells load up heavy, support early ==== Tomato Bed Layouts (Two 4×8 Beds) ==== === BED A (4×8) — Indeterminate / Vertical Rope System === Goal: Steady picking, best disease resistance, strong vertical growth. Recommended Layout (8 plants) Row of 4 (front) 2 × Mountain Magic 2 × Tropic Row of 4 (back) 4 × Roma VF Even though Roma is technically determinate, it climbs fine with pruning. Spacing 24" between plants 18" between rows Full 8-ft trellis Trellis Setup One top bar across the long side of the bed One string per plant Weekly “figure-8” wrapping Remove suckers only from indeterminates (Tropic, Mountain Magic) Very light sucker removal on Roma === BED B (4×8) — Determinate Slicers (NC Winners) === Goal: Big, reliable slicers with excellent disease resistance. Recommended Layout (8 plants) Row of 4 (front) 2 × Mountain Fresh Plus 2 × Amelia F1 Row of 4 (back) 4 × Mountain Merit Spacing 20–24" between plants 18" between front/back rows Trellis Support for Determinates Grow 4–5 ft tall → use shorter strings Add 3–4 levels of horizontal twine as they bulk Must support plants — they load up with fruit fast ==== Notes & Best Practices ==== Use fans indoors for strong stems Water seedlings from the bottom Mulch all outdoor beds heavily Stake peppers immediately Start trellising tomatoes & cucumbers early Keep frost cloth on hand for surprise cold snaps Plant basil in tomato beds and marigolds around all beds (your practice) ==== 2026 Seed List (Complete) ==== Tomatoes Tropic Amelia F1 Mountain Rouge Mountain Merit Celebrity Roma VF Mountain Magic Peppers Red Knight (F1) King Arthur (F1) Big Bertha (F1) California Wonder 300 Sweet Banana Jalafuego (F1) Cucumbers Diva County Fair Improved Squash Dunja Zucchini Multipik Yellow Squash ====== Tomato Beds (4×8) — 2026 Layout ====== Below are ASCII diagrams that render perfectly in DokuWiki using blocks. They include front/back rows, spacing, and clearly labeled varieties. === BED A — Indeterminate / Rope-Grown (Mountain Magic, Tropic, Roma VF) === ==================================================== BED A — 4×8 — Indeterminate / Vertical Rope System ==================================================== ← North (Back Row) +------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Roma VF] [Roma VF] [Roma VF] [Roma VF] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Mountain Magic] [Mountain Magic] | | [Tropic] [Tropic] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+ Spacing: - 24" between plants (left → right) - 18" between rows (front ↔ back) Trellis: - Full-length 8 ft top bar - 1 string per plant (vertical) - Weekly figure-8 wrap - Light pruning for Roma; normal pruning for indeterminates === BED B — Determinates (Mountain Fresh Plus, Amelia, Mountain Merit) === ==================================================== BED B — 4×8 — Determinate Slicers (NC Winners) ==================================================== ← North (Back Row) +------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Mountain Merit] [Mountain Merit] | | [Mountain Merit] [Mountain Merit] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Mountain Fresh+] [Mountain Fresh+] | | [Amelia F1] [Amelia F1] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+ Spacing: - 20–24" between plants - 18" between rows Support: - 3–4 levels of horizontal twine - Shorter vertical strings - Determinates get heavy → support early ====== Pepper Bed (4×8) — 2026 Layout ====== Final pepper layout: 12 plants (2 rows × 6 plants). ==================================================== PEPPER BED — 4×8 — Sweet Bells & Jalapeños (12 plants) ==================================================== ← North (Back Row) +------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Red Knight] [Red Knight] [King Arthur] | | [King Arthur] [Big Bertha] [Big Bertha] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Sweet Banana] [Sweet Banana] [Cal. Wonder 300] | | [Cal. Wonder] [Jalafuego] [Jalafuego] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+ Spacing: - 18" between plants - 24" between rows Notes: - Stake all peppers immediately - Sweet Banana & Big Bertha grow large → heavy support ====== Squash Bed (4×8) — 2026 Layout ====== ==================================================== ZUCCHINI & YELLOW SQUASH — 4×8 BED ==================================================== +------------------------- 8 ft -------------------------+ | | | [Dunja Zucchini] [Dunja Zucchini] | | | |---------------------------------------------------------| | | | [Multipik Yellow] [Multipik Yellow] | | | +---------------------------------------------------------+ Spacing: - 36–40" between plants Training: - Vertical once 12–18" tall using rope/twine ====== Cucumber Trellis Layout (Bed Edges) ====== ==================================================== CUCUMBERS — Ramp Trellis (2 Bed Edges) ==================================================== April 20 – May 10 (Round 1) - Diva × 2 - County Fair Improved × 2 July 10 – 20 (Round 2) - Replant Diva × 2 - Replant County Fair × 2 Planting Notes: - Depth: ½–¾" - Train up the ramp trellis immediately - Keep lower 8–10" of vines pruned for airflow