The end of May has brought almost ideal gardening weather, what a welcome change! Although it’s been a bit dry for Vermont spring, it looks like a great time to get all those ready-to-go plants into their new homes for the summer. It’s still a little early for some heat loving plants like basil, tomatoes, beans, artichokes, okra, & peppers, but almost everything else can move out. Some adventuresome gardeners have already planted out their tomatoes and they might do…
We have a welcome break in the weather and early planting can begin. Some ambitious gardeners already have put in peas, onion sets, greens, and carrots. It’s time to go ahead with early herbs & vegetables but be careful not to get ahead of the season just yet and don’t work that soil if it’s still very wet. Here is a list of what can be safely sown now, how to get the best germination of seeds in cool soil,…
Whether you grow your own seedlings (Congratulations!) or buy your garden plants, they will need some preparation for the transition out to the “real world”. There are big differences between indoors (house or greenhouse) and the tough world outside and plants need a little help to adapt to those hard conditions outside. This process is called “hardening off” and it is easy if you follow these basic steps. Hardening off is a stressful transition for plants because they have to…
Vermont spring can be a challenge but there are a couple easy ways to prevent early plant damage on cold nights. Sunny warm days tend to be followed by clear, still, cold nights when frost damage occurs. Cloudy, windy nights bring chance of freezing. Either way we need to protect our early plantings and strawberries. Experienced gardeners have used simple cold frames for years as they are a great way to get an early start while providing needed protection for…
Sunny, warmer days in Zones 4 & 5 make the garden real in early May. While there are several plants that can be seeded outdoors now, don’t be tempted to start working your soil if it is still wet. If you still insist on tilling your garden (I do not) it is very important to wait until the soil has drained and dried enough to be crumbly, not gooey or sticky. If you have raised beds (see previous article) you…
There are so many advantages to raised beds we really should consider them for any garden. Whether you are beginning a new garden or wish to improve an established garden, raised beds will make your garden more productive, more convenient, and raised beds do very well in the hilly, rocky, weedy, cool, northern New England environment. Let’s look at the benefits and explore a couple ways to build raised beds. While building raised beds will require some extra effort in…
We’re getting to the time when we can put seeds & plants into the ground. Some things can go in early, other things need to wait for warmer days. How do we know what to plant when? Here are a few ways that work for me and if you have others, please let me know. Frost Free Dates. Most plants can’t take a frost or freeze so they need to go in after danger has passed. That is tricky since…
Planning a garden requires some decisions. Most basically “What should I grow?” That depends on what you like to eat and what you want to see in your yard. Soil & climate conditions in northern New England place constraints on our choices too. No bananas, oranges, or mangoes, but we do have a wide selection of great fruits, vegetables, herbs, and flowers that do very well here. We are in Agricultural Zone 4 or 5, depending on your location and…
In the previous topic I described some of the early pruning and fruit tree protection that can be done and it’s still not too late for that. Despite recent weather we are about 2 weeks ahead of last year so it’s not too early to get started growing. I also hope you will begin keeping your own garden journal as described last week, it a great way to record all the positive things you’re doing so next year you’ll know…
Welcome to the first entry in my new blog about something positive that we can be doing during these very peculiar times. Despite COVID-19 and unstable weather, spring is officially here and many of us are thinking about the garden. In these articles I will address timely gardening topics as we go through the seasons in northern New England. If you have ideas to contribute or questions to ask about a local gardening topic please Contact me. First things first. …