NOT FOUND: plant lady1.jpgHello there, everyone! If you are reading this, you are loved and now that you’ve made my day, let’s get started with yours. Those of us who will be planting a vegetable garden, only if our Jesus can tarry, we need to get planting. The Western Garden Book has us as zone 8-9, and herb gardens, i.e., basil, cilantro, parsley need to be in the ground now to ensure adequate root establishment before the heat comes.
Other veggies that need to go in now are the summer root veggies such as parsnips, rutabaga, etc. All veggies have roots, so to clarify “root veggies”: the family includes carrots, ginger, turnips and potatoes. However, those are cool season root veggies not to be planted now, but when the part of the plant we eat grows underground they are considered root veggies. Tomatoes, zucchini, okra, peppers, eggplant should all be planted by the end of May so you’re still ok to get them in now. For June, you will want to plant your pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, lemon cucumbers and corn. Don’t forget the green beans! Man, nothing beats fresh green beans fried in a little bit of bacon grease and a little cut up white onion, except when you add some cornbread! Now we’re talking and a fried pork chop.
NOT FOUND: plant lady2.jpgOk, ok, sorry it’s hard not to “taste the fruit of our labor” when we haven’t finished breaking our sweat yet. Now to completely avoid any weeds in our garden I want to strongly urge you to spread hay (straw) at about a 3” depth over all the naked dirt up to 1-2” close to the plant. This will do as much for weed suppression, moisture retention and root protection as it did to protect our ground during the winter. I must also admit that it is quite aesthetically pleasing.
And when the season is over, mix it all in to add body, nutrients for winter garden or next year. Just be sure to install your drip system under the straw and buy those little stakes, that secure each head securely in place, close to the base of each plant and if a soaker hose is what you choose, snake it in between your plants on top of the rows under the straw. I am usually a row flooder. Once a week, twice when in the 100 degree days, I lay my hose at one end and flood the rows. This is a good way to establish deep root systems. There is more than one way to skin a cat; and if you have yours down to an art, good for you.
If you’ve experienced difficulties in the past, try a new way. Please just avoid overhead watering and light, shallow, daily watering. Do not water every day, if you insist, try and do it every other day. Safety does come in numbers, yes, even in the garden. I understand financial challenges as well as the next person and the price of plants just go up each year and we find ourselves wanting variety over quantity. However, keep in mind just like in friends, quality beats quantity, and a quality harvest is our goal.
To lessen our chances for disaster do not plant just one of anything. Plants do get lonely. (I can completely explain in a later issue) and some plants like kids and animals, not to compare the two. Ha! Ha! Learn from the other of what and when to “do”. One plant will read as either a point of focus or as a unifier and guide, encourage or support the other or others. Just food for thought, I learned in college and through experience as well.
Well y’all, Harlie just woke up and is hungry. I just looked at her from across the porch and her headful of bed hair and her 6 year old Ichabod Crane physique gave me an exciting idea. Let’s have a scarecrow contest! Yay!!! Doesn’t that sound like fun? Y’all can submit photos and we can vote on the prize! But I warn ya: if you have a skinny little kid like mine you’ll be disqualified for posing them!!! LOL. Good Luck.
Share your thoughts about what y’all think. I am going to allow my neighbor kids to have a pumpkin growing contest in the end of my garden. They love having me as a neighbor. Until next month, love as always.
Your Plant Lady