New Gardeners Almanac
(Page 2 of 3)
April/May 2002
By Carol Mack
Central/Midwest
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Gardeners Almanac Regional and seasonal gardening tips for where you live....
As the ground becomes workable in April, plant peas, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes and potatoes. Wait on more tender varieties (lettuce, cabbage, other greens) until several weeks before the average last frost, or plant under row covers. Sow successive cr ops every two weeks through April and May to maximize harvest and quality. Divide perennial flowers. Fertilize potted plants to maintain vigorous growth. Seedling transplants need a hardening off period to slowly expose them to the sun, wind and cool temperatures. Start with a few hours a day and gradually increase. Check with experienced gardeners for ad vice an using season extenders to get a head start on tomatoes and peppers. Keep an eye on the weather. As with all seasons in the Midwest, conditions can vary significantly from year to year.
North Central and Rockies
Patience is a virtue demonstrated by the oldtimers in our mountain valley, who are less likely to hurry to plant even dur ing unusual warm spells. Year in, year out, looking back from a green, bountiful July garden, they have noticed it doesn't make much difference jumping the gun in April or May. For now, stick to cold season vegetables: arugula, asparagus, fava beans, beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, Chinese celery, chicory, corn salad, kale, leeks, lettuce, oriental mustard, onions, bok choi, parsnips, peas, radishes. spinach, Swiss chard and turnips. These can survive the all-too-common late May snowstorm or monthlong cold, rainy period. The first of May is early enough to start tomatoes for outside planting around June 1. Four-week transplants will be small and folks may laugh, but in the end, more years than not, you'll harvest the first tomatoes.
Pacffic Northwest
Just when you thought the sun had left the Northwest for good, out it comes, bringing with it not only warmth but also a bundle of pleasurable garden chores. Sow seeds of radishes, beets, lettuce, mustards, greens and carrots. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts seedlings can be set out up to six weeks before the last frost, as long as they have at least three or four sets of true leaves. A good rule of thumb for tomatoes, peppers, eggplants and basil is to transplant when nightly temperatures are 50 degrees or above. (Most Pacific Northwest gardeners wait until after May 15.) Once soil temperatures reach 60 degrees, you can plant corn, beans. squash and cucumbers. For late springy plantings of peas, use an enation virus-resistant variety that will remain productive when weather warms. Some resistant va rieties are `Oregon Sugar Pod,' 'Cascadia' or `Sugar Sprint' snap peas, and `Oregon Trail' or `Pioneer' shelling peas.
Southwest
When nights are consistently above 50 degrees, it's time to plant eggplant, pepper and tomato seedlings. Sow seeds of beans, chard, collards, corn, cucumbers, gherkins, kale, leeks, melons, muskmelons, mustards, okra, onions, parsley, pumpkins, squash, watermelon, sweet basil and other herbs. Water plants deeply once a week as weather heats up, and surround them with liberal amounts of mulch to shade the soil and add organic matter. Wheat straw mulch is especially effective as it contains natural plant herbicides, which keep spring weeding to a minimum. Add variety to your garden and menu by trying some new vegetables from Central America, South America and Asia. The following can all be direct seeded this time of year: amaranth, edamame (soybeans eaten like fresh peas-w e'll have a report on American variety trials in the next issue), Malabar spinach, Couve tronchuda (Portuguese cabbage), Huauzontli (red Mexican spinach), jicama (water chestnut-flavored root), and tomatillos (for salsa). (These uncommon crops are available from Redwood City Seed Co., www.ecoseeds. com ; (650) 325-7333.)
