Welcome to-- On My Calendar!

Congratulations for downloading your Green Thumb Playbook!

The next step is to get your hands on our 'cheat sheets'. They'll help you know when to start your seedlings-- and give you the planting dates for direct seeding the ones you don’t start ahead of time!

This is your resource for those crucial insights into sowing windows for all of our varieties-- in one handy place. BECAUSE starting and planting your seeds at the right time will get your plants off to great start for MORE in '24! 

Here's your step-by step guide:
Step 1: Download the spreadsheet with our recommended planting windows. These charts are in Microsoft Excel for those of you using a Windows PC and in Numbers for you Mac users. (We also have a PDF version below-- set to the 3rd week of May as the last spring frost date.)

The beauty of these spreadsheets is-- once you know your last spring frost date, you can easily customize these charts in just a couple of clicks.

Step 2: Let's find those frost dates! Here's a tool that can give you your average last frost date simply by entering your zip code. Just click this link and type in your zip code.

Next look for the line, "You are almost guaranteed that you will not get frost from [date] through [date]. The next line will read,"Your frost-free growing season is around [xxx] days." Compare this information to your experience, if you’ve lived in your location for a while. 

For our zip code this tool says we are ‘almost’ guaranteed to be frost-free after May 22nd. In our experience, we believe that date is more like May 25th. Our first fall frost is said to be about September 16th-- usually it's about September 21st. These are estimates or guides, of course-- but use your place-based wisdom, if you have that experience.

Now that you have those frost dates, what week does it fall into? Our last spring frost date is about the 3rd week of May.  How does your's compare? 

Don't forget to write your last spring and first fall frost dates in your 2024 Green Thumb Playbook on page 3!

Customization Help!
We have a companion video on YouTube that'll walk you through customizing your spreadsheet to your location. I show you exactly to set those last spring frost dates in your spreadsheet.

The RESULTS-- you'll have your very own location specific start dates for all of our seeds. Gone is that worry-- "I don't know where to start!"

Step 3: Print!
When you go to print your spreadsheets, delete the instructions table so the garden chart prints out in a readable size! (I walk you through this in the video as well.)

Here's how: 
If you're working in Mac Numbers— in the spreadsheet click on the instructions table on the right side of page. It's titled, "To customize this table..."

Once you click on the table, you’ll see the rows and columns. Click the circle in the upper left hand corner of the instructions table and hit the ‘delete’ key on your keyboard.  Now it'll print a much more reasonable size. Click FILE > PRINT. In the print dialogue box I set the Content scale at 47% so it would fit the full width of the vertical 8.5 x 11 sheet and 2 pages.  Margins are set at 72 pt each with the Header and Footer set at 16 pts. 

If you’re working in Microsoft Excel— highlight the columns you want to print (click and hold your selection tool and drag across columns A through AI to select them), click FILE > PRINT. In the print dialogue box, instead of ALL PAGES, click RANGE and enter 1 to 2. Now go down to the next box and check 'Collate pages'. Next, click the PRINT dropdown menu and choose "SELECTION", click "SCALE TO FIT". Double check above to see that RANGE is still set to pages 1 to 2-- correct it if it changed. Hit PRINT.

PDF VERSIONS
We also have simple PDF downloads for our veggies and melons and another for our flowers and herbs. These documents are set for our final spring frost date in the third week of May. You can use this print document as guide and move your dates based on how much earlier or later your last frost date is compared to ours.

Added Bonuses!
Bonus #1-- all the seeding depth and spacing data is included too! Combine this tool with our Green Thumb Playbook and you'll be all set for success!

Bonus #2-- there are hyperlinks to our crop varieties at Prairie Road Organic Seed, so you don't have to search! Just click on the crops in Column A to view our seed offerings for each crop. For example, click on 'Cucumber' to go to our website and select from our cucumber varieties!

More in 2024!
We're so happy to share these spreadsheets with you, making it easier for you to finalize your garden plans and ditch the feeling of overwhelm or confusion on when and where to start! Let's get those dates-- ON YOUR CALENDAR! 🙌🏻

Upcoming webinar: Watch your email for our upcoming webinar on getting ready for the 2024 garden season! See ya soon!

Your garden coach,
Theresa