038 Week 20 2024 Gardening Guide

 

In this week's episode we take a look at the gardening week ahead and also cover some quick tips for watering your plants.


Episode Transcript

Hi! John Morgan here with the Keep Growing Podcast.

This weekend is our annual Mother’s Day sale.  Come on out to your local Bob’s Market May 11th and 12th for sale prices on 10 inch flowering hanging baskets and bedding flats.  Traditionally, in our region, Mother’s Day weekend is considered the end of frost danger.  For us, it is a happy coincidence that makes for a great event.  Also, along those same lines, we’re doing a giveaway for a $100 gift card on our website.  Head over to bobsmarket.com for details and the deadline.  I’ll announce the winner here next weekend.

This week the weather is looking a bit dryer than last week. Of course, it was really wet last week.  However, we are looking at rain mid-week and a cool down into the 70s.  Then heading into the weekend we’re going to be back in the 80s.  Right now next weekend is looking like possible rain on Saturday, but a dry Sunday for some time to escape to the garden.

In Uncle Jim’s Almanac, this week we’re looking at a great time to get out and seed your garden veggies.

Today, Saturday, May 11th, seed annual flowers like zinnias and cosmos for midsummer blooms, transplant or seed melons in the garden, and don’t forget to fertilize houseplants for strong summer growth.

Sunday, May 12th is, of course, Mother’s Day.

Monday, May 13th, plant sweet potatoes.  Also, harvest scapes from hardneck garlic.  If you’ve never tried oven-roasted garlic scapes, they’re a treat you’re missing out on.

Tuesday, May 14th, plant peppers, okra, and cabbage.  Also, harvest established asparagus.

Wednesday, May 15th, seed lima beans.  It’s also the first quarter moon.

Thursday, May 16th seed sweet corn and remove strawberry blossoms on newly transplanted plants.  That way they can focus their energy on growing strong roots.

Friday, May 17th seed or transplant basil and seed Malabar spinach.  Malabar spinach is unrelated to regular spinach, but it has one trait that makes it suited to your garden this time of the year.  It can withstand warmer temperatures without bolting.

Finally, on Saturday, May 18th, install row covers to protect cabbage a broccoli from insects. And that gets us through the gardening week ahead.

Last Friday we shared a blog post about the art and science of watering plants.  With folks buying hanging baskets and planting up beautiful containers this weekend, I thought I would share some quick tips for keeping your containers healthy.  Once, the weather gets hot, it is easy for things to go sideways quickly.

When it’s, hot water daily. That’s a good rule of thumb, especially if you have a smaller container of hanging basket or if it is located in a sunny spot.

Next, make sure you’re actually getting the soil wet.  An interesting dynamic of peat-based potting mixes is that once they dry out, they actually become hydrophobic.  This means if you’re watering just until you see water coming out the bottom, the water might be flowing around the root ball.  Stick a finger into the soil.  It won’t bite.  I promise.

Gomer Gardener: “Help Me! Heelp me! My new guinea impatien was beautiful yesterday and now it’s all wilty.  It’s just blah.  Dead.  I guess I better just chuck it on the compost pile.”

NO!  Here’s how you save it.   Fill a bucket or bowl with water, and let it soak.  I promise you’ll almost be able to watch it coming back from the brink.  … Now if the foliage is full-on crispy … you might have one that’s too far gone.

Finally, be sure to feed your baskets and containers.  If you’re watering until water starts to come out the drain hole … as you should, it has the negative effect of leaching away nutrients.  Replace the lost nutrients with a water soluble fertilizer like Jack’s Classic.  Unlike flower beds where there is a reserve of nutrients in the soil, you’ll need to give them fertilizer at least once a week to keep them healthy and blooming.  We actually fertilize baskets in our markets every time we water.

Of course there is some nuance, as always, depending on the particular species of plants, but these tips are a good starting point to help you and your plants … keep growing.

 

For this and other great information, find us online at bobsmarket.com