When to Plant Vegetables in Seattle?

Growing vegetables in Seattle at times can be frustrating because of the cold, rainy weather. With proper timing and plants, many vegetables can be grown in Seattle in spite of the weather.

Cool-weather vegetables such as peas, lettuce, radishes and spinach grow well in Seattle's cool temperatures. Plant these vegetables in mid- to late March, or as soon as the soil can be worked. Some gardeners plant their pea seeds on Washington's birthday (Feb. 22). The real factor in whether you plant peas that early in Seattle will be not the temperature, but the soil. As long as the ground isn't soggy, it is acceptable to plant peas on Feb. 22. Given all the rain and typically heavy soils in Seattle, it may take until March for the soil to dry out enough for peas, which will rot in cold, wet soil.

Summer vegetables are heat lovers and include plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, beans and yellow squash. Summer temperatures in Seattle are not ideal for these vegetables, but it is still possible to grow them with a little extra planning. For an earlier harvest, start tomato seeds indoors in mid-March, and start squash and cucumber seeds in late April, or buy plants from a garden center. Plant vegetables in the garden in mid-May once the soil has warmed.

Cloches or cold frames can help extend vegetable growing by one to two weeks. Cloches or cold frames are especially helpful in Seattle when starting heat-loving plants such as tomatoes and squash. Even with these measures, the growing season for summer vegetables in Seattle is brief, so grow short-season or early varieties of tomato plants such as Early Girl.