Hoopoe Acres

Four nesting boxes are available and there is clearly a favorite.

The seed-started cabbage and broccoli are coming along nicely.

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🌱 Your Decatur (30033) Garden Game Plan — Casual Version
You’re in Zone 8a, last frost ~late March.
Urban Decatur is warm, so you can push timing a bit earlier in raised beds.
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🥕 RIGHT NOW (Early February)
If your soil isn’t frozen or muddy:
You can direct sow outside now or very soon:
• English peas
• Spinach
• Arugula, mustard, lettuce
• Radishes
• Turnips
Inside now (if you want strong transplants):
• Broccoli, cabbage, collards
• Onions
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🌼 Late February → Early March
Direct sow outdoors:
• More peas
• Carrots
• Beets
• Swiss chard
Plant potatoes (russets):
• Best window: March 1–20
• They like cool soil—don’t wait too long or they struggle.
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🍅 Early–Mid March (indoors)
Start:
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Eggplant
• Basil
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🌽 Corn & Melons Timing (Important)
These are heat lovers—don’t rush them.
🌽 Corn
• Direct sow mid–late April
• Soil must be 60°F+
• Plant in blocks (not rows) for pollination.
🍉 Watermelon
• Start indoors early April OR direct sow late April
• Transplant after April 20–30
• Needs hot soil—black plastic mulch helps a LOT.
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🥔 Russet Potatoes (extra tips)
• Plant pieces with 2–3 eyes
• 4 inches deep, hill soil as they grow
• Stop watering when vines die back for good storage potatoes
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🌾 Winter Wheat (Fun crop!)
• Plant in October–November for best results
• You can plant spring wheat now, but winter wheat really wants fall planting.
• It will overwinter, head in spring, harvest early summer.
If you want, I can walk you through home wheat growing & harvesting in a backyard scale—it’s doable.
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🌿 Turmeric (Exotic but doable in GA)
Turmeric is tropical.
When:
• Plant rhizomes late April–May
• Soil must be warm (70°F+)
How:
• Partial shade, rich soil, lots of water
• Harvest in October–November before frost
• You can pot it and bring it inside—great houseplant.
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🌞 Summer Reality Check for Peas
Peas will die once temps stay above ~80°F.
In Decatur, that usually happens by mid-May.
So think of peas as a spring sprint crop.
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⚠️ Atlanta-Specific Garden Truths
You already know some of this, but:
• Clay soil = slow warming → raised beds plant earlier
• Humidity = fungal diseases → spacing matters
• Summer heat kills broccoli, lettuce, peas fast
• Corn and watermelon LOVE Atlanta summers
• Sweet potatoes and turmeric thrive here
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One pound bags of organic turmeric rhizomes available for $15 each. Venmo or PayPal accepted, local pickup only.
DM to purchase.

Our main garden page sharing more photos, tips, planting guides, and recipes will remain at The Piedmont Report. We will post extra produce and garden goodies available for sale here on Hoopoe Acres

Turmeric powder, rhizomes, and blossom