Hello, I’m Yun, the founder of The Planting Key. This website was born from a message sent by a friend.
I live in Guangzhou, China. Here, I have a group of friends who are as obsessed with gardening as I am. We grow vegetables, flowers, and fruits on our own balconies or small vegetable plots, and then we exchange planting techniques and share the joy of harvesting in our group chat. We are accustomed to using China’s “24 Solar Terms” (二十四节气) to determine sowing times. This traditional system has guided Chinese agriculture for thousands of years.
Half a year ago, a friend of mine moved to the United States, ready to showcase her skills on her new balcony. But she quickly discovered that the methods we were familiar with were completely unworkable. She asked me in the group chat: “Yun, what should I refer to for planting times in the US? I don’t even know when to plant tomatoes!“
Her question stunned me. It’s true, our love for the land is universal, but the methods cannot be simply copied. What could I do for her?
From that day on, I began to frantically research North American horticulture. I dove headfirst into the USDA’s climate zones, decades of climate data, and various agricultural research reports. My goal was clear: to develop a system that could transform complex climate science into a precise, local planting calendar that anyone could understand.
This website is my answer.
Every planting calendar here is meticulously calculated based on data. Every planting guide strives to be detailed and practical, giving you the confidence to start from a single seed and harvest your own joy. I have made all my data sources and calculation methods public on the My Methodology page, and you are welcome to take a look at any time.
What I want to do
I believe that the joy of gardening should not be hindered by complex knowledge. I am committed to providing:
- Clear and easy-to-understand guidance: Turning professional knowledge into plain language.
- Scientific and rigorous advice: My information is based on data, not hearsay.
- Completely transparent methods: Letting you know how I arrive at my conclusions.
Although we are thousands of miles apart, the soil beneath our feet and our shared love for the growth of life connect us closely.
Thank you for being here. I invite you to explore my Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Garden if you’re just starting out, or dive into my library of [All Vegetable Guides] to find your next project.
Happy Gardening,
Yun