Cold Crop Planting in Kansas: A Timeline

If you're in Kansas or the surrounding area, this post is for you! (If you live far from Kansas, you can go here, type in your zip code, and view your local planting calendar.)

The weather is the deciding factor of when we actually plant. It can vary anywhere from the first week of March (on a dry, milder year) to the 3rd week of March (on a wet, colder year). We've never had any issues if we planted between March 8th-March 31st.

When starting a row, we use stakes and string to make sure they're straight as can be, and dig holes or furrow (depending on what you're planting) from one end to the other.

Here are the various things we plant in early Spring:

POTATOES

We plant Yukon Gold and various red potatoes, and occasionally some Russet potatoes if we've got some in our pantry growing some eyes. We first prep the potato seeds by cutting them in chunks, each piece having an eye, and then set out to dry. Holes are dug about 1-2 feet apart. The potato seeds are then placed into the hole with the eye pointed up, and then covered with a mound of soil over top.

PEAS

From one end to the other, dig a furrow and plant each pea seed about a toothpick length apart, or about 2 inches. Cover pea seed with soil.

ONIONS

Dig another furrow and plant each onion bulb about 2 inches apart, sprouted end pointing up. Cover onion bulbs with soil.

RADISHES

Radish seed is better spread by mixing with sand first, and then sprinkling in a furrow. This is a trick my husband was taught by his Grandpa, who had the greenest thumb anybody has ever seen. Cover radishes with soil.

LETTUCE, & SPINACH

Dig another furrow and sprinkle lettuce seed evenly, and do the same with the spinach seed. Cover all seed with soil.

BEETS

In another furrow, plant beet seed about 2 inches apart. Cover them with soil.

Once everything is in the ground, expect to see sprouts of just about everything within 2-3 weeks.