New Gardeners Almanac
Regional and seasonal gardening tips for where you live.
April/May 2002
By Carol Mack
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ILLUSTRATION BY DIANE A. RADER
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New England/Maritime Canada
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The ice thaw: It's time to dig overwintered parsnips for the first garden treats of the year. Spinach, cilantro, 'Sylvetta' arugula, mustards, oriental greens, lettuce and mesclun mixes can all be planted in cold soil. If the ground is too wet to turn, just lay the seed down and cover with compost. Spun polyester row cover will speed the growth of early greens and protect against flea beetle damage. For the earliest beet greens, try setting out the last of your storage beers; they will sprout a crop of tender leaves before going to seed. Plant peas in late April. In the greenhouse or cold frame, it's time to start cucumbers, melons and squash. These plants hate having their roots disturbed, so use individual 3-inch peat pots that can be set directly into the ground. Wait to set out plants until the ground has thoroughly warmed to 60 degrees.
Mid-Atlantic
Greens are everywhere. You may want to steam and freeze some before they all bolt. Start successive plantings of peas, spinach, beets, carrots, radishes, lettuce, greens and potatoes in early April to keep the harvest rolling in. Have your cabbage in the soil under floating row cover by April 7, and add broccoli, cauliflower and some 'Glacier' tomatoes by Tax Day. Hill soil around potatoes when they're ankle high. When the calendar says May, Ill likely he inundated with weeding. Hoe on the dry days and pull on the wet days. Start early cucumbers, melons and squash in peat pots and begin sowing beans and corn in early May. Mid-May is time to begin setting out tomatoes and warm-season crops. If you can harvest peas this month, you did well.
Southern Interior
April and May are wonderful times to be a gardener in the Southern regions. In the early part of this period, there's still time to get those summer-blooming bulbs planted and on schedule for summer color. Till and fertilize annual beds to prepare them for planting. Most annual plants will not respond until the soil temperature reaches 60 degrees, providing ample time for preparation. After the last frost has passed, those heat-loving vegetables you started indoors (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and squash) can be moved to their new home outdoors. Many Southern gardeners say April 15 is the perfect deadline for the last frost (just to he safe). Sow annual flowers such as asters, cosmos, zinnias and marigolds as soon as the frost has passed and the air begins to warm up.
Gulf Coast
Our intense summers really take a toll on some vegetable crops, so time your plantings accordingly. Finish seeding bush snap beans, lima beans, sweet coin, winter and summer squash by early May to avoid heat damage. Vegetables that thrive in the heat can be planted throughout April and May; these include sweet potato transplants, okra, southern peas, pumpkins, peanuts, watermelons, cucumbers, cantaloupes, collards, squash and eggplants. Prolong the harvest of cool-season crops, like lettuce and spinach, by shading them with a thin, floating row cover. If your tomatoes have suffered from blossom-end rot or cracking in the past, uneven watering is probably the culprit. Bury a gallon pot or perforated milk jug next to the plant and fill it with water daily to keep the roots evenly moist. Prune flowering shrubs after they have bloomed.Finish pruning citrus trees in April. Don't overwater them-some fruit dropping is normal through mid June.
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