Let the gardening season begin!
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Send to friend4/9/09
Let the gardening season begin!
It is only 40 degrees here but I am pleased as punch to say that the spring veggies are planted. My husband Neal and I worked on planting potatoes, onions, lettuce, beets, turnips, and peas 2 weeks back.
In the spring, finding the right conditions to get crops planted can be a challenge. The soil must first thaw out and then be dry enough to work. We hit it just right on March 27 and got to work. Once everything was planted the rain came. OK, maybe it was sleet, but all the same precipitation happened. Let the gardening season begin!!
In Auglaize County it is our tradition to plant peas, onions and potatoes by St. Patrick’s Day. Cool season crops are hardy and can tolerate light frost. Most seeds need warmer soil temperatures to sprout and longer days to start growing. That little dry spell in late March allowed us to work up the soil so that the April showers and snow can do their job.
Each year I use a wall calendar as a gardening journal. Unable to remember what and where each crop is planted, I draw a simple diagram of the garden on the back page and update it as the seasons change. On each date I record what was done (e.g., planted potatoes) in the garden, what I observed (rhubarb is up), or how much rain fell.
Keeping calendars from one year to the next is easy. This Garden Journal becomes my reference for what to look for and how soon to expect crops. I looked back on last year’s calendar and found that this year we put the spring garden in 13 days earlier.
The confinement of winter leaves me itching to get out doors when the weather breaks. I am not the most patient gardener. Once planted, I go out to the garden almost daily anxiously awaiting the emergence of the first leaves.
Today the garden is lying still, the sun is warming the soil and the seeds are in their beds ready to start growing. The rains are soaking deep and snow occasionally blankets the bed. Already onions are peeking through and the rhubarb is ready to pick.
Keep your eyes open and watch for new plant life as it emerges from the sleeping soil.
Allison Brady, Executive Director
Heritage Trails Park District- Your Auglaize County Parks
