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Wednesday, May 23, 2012 |
In March, a gardener's thoughts seem to turn effortlessly to the coming planting season, dreaming of rows and rows of beautiful vegetables just about ready for harvest in the weeks ahead. Here on Delmarva as well as in much of the U.S. this year, those thoughts have come much earlier than usual, and it's easy to conjure up visions of a bounteous spring crop of peas, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, beets and lettuce.
My seed order arrived, and I've drawn up my planting scheme for each of the plots, being mindful to rotate crops from year to year to moderate insect damage and nutrient depletion. I rely on two useful resources for my planning. One is the Maryland Extension Service bulletin "Vegetable Planting Calendar for Central Maryland," which gives a range of best dates for over 40 vegetables. The other is a three-year garden calendar that I produce on my computer. It's based on an out-of-print paperback called The Gardener's 3-Year Note Book by Todd Weintz. In it, I've recorded what I plant, when I plant, how many plants, the fertilizing schedule, harvest results, any special issues encountered, and other data that interests me, such as rainfall amounts and when I hear the first Bob-White call of the Spring. Each day from March through October has its own page, with three years on a page for easy comparison. The calendar can be used year round, although from November through February, each page covers one whole week. Here's a picture. Seeds that can be planted now for transplanting later in the garden such as broccoli, cauliflower and lettuce can be started in a cold-frame or under grow lights attached to a simple frame and placed in a warm spot inside the house. Any number of gardening books will have plans for a cold frame, but mine was determined by an old storm window frame I found on an abandoned house. You can use the existing glass in an old window or replace missing or cracked panes with plexi-glass. Dimensions and printable instructions for both of these devices are included on the Gardening On Delmarva web page. Sets -- which may be corms, bulbs (e.g., onions) or tubers (e.g., potatoes) - can be planted directly into the garden now or in early April. Pea seeds can also be planted now or as soon as your soil can be worked. Except for peas, which thrive especially well in cold weather, I am more inclined to germinate seeds of beets, spinach, Chinese cabbage, and other cold-tolerant vegetables indoors and transplant them shortly after the seedlings emerge. March can still be a fickle weather month…my calendar reminds me we had two inches of snow on March 27, 2010 followed by 2 days of evening temperatures in the low 20's. That can be tough on little seedlings. Even without those extremes, our typical frost-free date is April 20, so one needs to be prepared to cover small plants overnight with sheets, baskets, newspapers, or plastic jugs. The USDA has issued newer hardiness zone maps based on extreme low temperature averages. When purchasing seeds or plants from catalogs; be sure to read the recommendations for your hardiness zone. Check the maps on our website to see what zone your neighborhood is in. Another March activity as the weather turns pleasant is to prepare your garden soil, whether you use a shovel and hoe, a rotary tiller, or a tractor. It's always good advice to take it slow and not try to do too much at one time if your back and winter muscles haven't yet had time to adjust. Garden work should be a pleasure not a chore. Richard Nottingham, a vegetable specialist with University of Maryland Extension, gave some good advice at a meeting recently. He said, "Grow what you like to eat, with a garden size that you can handle, and have fun." The bees, as I mentioned earlier, have been active for several weeks now, already foraging for pollen whenever daytime temperatures reach into the mid-50's. About 10 days ago I gave the hive a bottle of sugar syrup, which is a nectar substitute that stimulates the Queen to increase her egg production. Later this week I'll inspect the hive to assess the health of the colony, clean it up after the winter, and make sure everything is ready for the coming nectar flow. It really is an exciting time to be a gardener with all the promise of a banner summer of fresh vegetables to look forward to; by this time next month we should be enjoying our first taste of fresh asparagus! I hope you'll email any comments or questions you have about your gardening efforts, methods, and results.
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 Garden Calendar |
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Upcoming Home & Garden Events May 1, 2012 - Shore Fresh Growers - Farmers Markets Worcester, Wicomico, & Somerset County, Maryland May 1, 2012 - Chestertown Farmers’ & Artisans’ Market Fountain Park, at High and Cross Streets - Chestertown, Maryland May 5, 2012 - St. Michaels Fresh Farm Market Muskrat Park - St. Michaels Harbor, at Willow and Green Streets - St. Michaels, Maryland May 19, 2012 - 5th Annual LSLT Native Plant Sale & Celebration  Village Youth Center - 6 Asbury Avenue - Crisfield, MarylandMay 19, 2012 - Maids & Mistresses: An Historic Costume Program & Luncheon Julia A. Purnell Museum - 208 W. Market Street, Snow Hill, Maryland May 19, 2012 - Second Annual Preakness Party Captain's Table - Ocean City, Maryland May 26, 2012 - Fairmount Academy’s 37th Annual 1800s Festival Fairmount Road - Fairmount, Maryland May 26, 2012 - Spring Arts & Crafts Show Ocean City Convention Center - 40th Street and the Bay; Ocean City, Maryland May 26, 2012 - Art and Music On the Farm! Barrier Island Center - 7295 Young Street - Machipongo, Virginia May 27, 2012 - 19th Annual Soft Shell Spring Fair City Dock - Crisfield, Maryland |
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