Time to Start Planting?

The sun is out and the weather report is 40-60 degrees for the next 7-10 days! How wonderful!
No frost? Right?  Wrong!  Watch your weather report for night temperatures.  Early pea, radish, greens, and root crop seeds are going out.  Early seedlings can go out too, but need to be hardened off in the shade or have hotcaps or something put over them to protect them from sun, wind and, oh yes, those pesky birds that will snip the young seedlings off right at the base!  How dare they undo your hard work in just a simple snip, or go right down the row with careful snips and take all of them!

What are you going to put around and over young plants?  Gardeners have been coming up with all sorts of protectors, such as recycled empty juice, milk or Clorox containers. Just cut back the top enough  so you can fold back the top during the day and then refold the flap back over the plant container for night protection.  When the plants are hardened off in a few days, you can take the protection off. Save the containers or hotcaps for the next batch of plants. It is a good idea to put staggered batches of seeds or plants out so that they do not all come on at the same time.  If you have a disaster, you simply replant and keep on going!

 Time to put out tomatoes?  Not yet unless you use “Walls O Water,” which will protect them down to about 15 degrees. Our average last frost date is mid May. It may be cooler in the outlaying areas or down in The Coulees.  Otherwise, wait until the end of April or early May.  Be sure to cover them.  Lay plants down sideways in a low trench and just leave the top rosette of leaves out. Tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers  have hairs along the stems that are modified root structure which will stem root and will give them a bigger and sturdier root system under them. Now other annuals can go out.

Wait for another week or two to put out peppers, particularly the hot peppers as they like the warmer soil temperature. Remember the soil temperature often is 10 degrees cooler than the air temperature.  When it is too cold, hot peppers just sit there and sulk! Also, wait until late April or early May to put out corn and bean seeds.  Sometimes it is helpful to soak the hard seeds in hot water for an hour or two before planting. Then plant out the melon, cucumber, and squash plants and other annuals.  If you want to start these early, only start them two to three weeks before they go out. The ones you start in March will be huge and will be difficult to get out safely.

Ground is defrosted?  Now is the time to plant shade, flowering and fruit trees, shrubs, perennials grapes, and berries.  Dig, split, and replant perennials and then trees or shrubs as needed before they leaf out. Water them in and apply mulch for protection from freeze damage and from weed competition. How exciting to get out into the fresh air!  Look at how much you have accomplished!