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 can get started a little sooner because of better drainage, warmer soils & no tilling needed.

Seeds you can start outdoors in early May:

• Carrots                                   Peas
• Chives                                   Radish
• Dill                                          Spinach
• Onions (sets)                        Turnips
• Parsley

Seeds you can start indoors now for transplanting in 3-6 weeks:

Got Voles? Start your peas in a gutter!

Normally peas are direct seeded, but if voles (not moles) find the tender young sprouts they will eat them all before you know it.  Peas don’t like to be transplanted but there is a simple trick to bypass the voles and get an early row of peas nicely established.  All you need is a length (5 to 10 ft.) of gutter (not galvanized) and 2 end caps such as large yogurt containers pushed onto the ends.  Place the gutter in an indoor place where it won’t be disturbed or moved and gets good sunlight.  Fill the gutter just over half full of moist seed starter mix and gently pack the soil a bit.  Next place your pea seeds about 2 inches apart in an alternating double row (see photo) for the length of the gutter.  Fill the gutter with the moist starter mix to cover the seeds with ½ inch of soil and gently tamp the soil.  Water the gutter if it dries out and when the peas are 2-3 inches tall with true leaves (and too tough for the voles) they are ready to transplant. 

In the garden where you want your peas, dig a shallow trench the length of the gutter and the same depth as the gutter.  Place the gutter in the trench and elevate one end just enough to help the soil & peas slide out one open end.  Pull out short sections (1 ft.) of the soil as you slide the gutter out from under the peas.  After the peas are all in your trench you can fix up the row and cover the plants with some extra loose soil if needed.  Gently pack them in and water.  You now have established peas with a head start on the voles and the weather!  Just to be extra sure, I also sprinkle MoleMax©, a botanical repellent, along the planted row to deter hungry voles.  I plant pre-germinated seeds but that is not required. This system has worked successfully for 3 years now with no seedling losses.

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If you have a different way to prevent vole damage in the garden we would love to hear from you in the Comments space below.