April Showers Bring May Flowers, But Cold April Nights Do Not!
Hello! Thanks for stopping by.
For much of the past 10 days beginning April 28, temperatures have been relatively warm and sunny, but the nighttime air temperatures during the same period continually dipped into the mid-30's. Most of the plants we have in the garden are a little fussy about that kind of overnight situation. In order to keep them happy, we had to protect them from the cooler night air in spite of the fact that daily sunshine had warmed our soil to 60 degrees. I'm thankful that we are now entering a warming period for at least the next week, but there will be little sunshine and periodic showers. Some rain is certainly welcome, however, as it's been in short supply lately.
And since I mentioned soil temperatures, I have to say that I definitely found a soil thermometer to be a big help in knowing when to get plants started in the garden. The thermometer comes with a chart giving soil temperatures that are suited to starting various plants. For instance, green bean seed likes the soil to be at 60f when planted. Beets and many other spring plantings will tolerate and sprout with soil temperatures at 40f. It's definitely a worthwhile addition to the garden tool arsenal. Plants that are placed in soil that is too cool to meet their needs may not fare well in the long run.
A soil thermometer will let you know when soil temps are proper for seeds.
Pansies are one of the spring flowers that don't mind colder soil. And gnomes are always a big help in the garden!
As you can see in the picture below, the sugar "snap peas" are coming along quite well, as did the spinach earlier. We have three 8' rows of the peas. They were quite happy getting started with a soil temp of 40f. The broccoli, beets, carrots, and radishes are thriving as well. These plants are the type suited to spring and fall plantings and have edible pods. They grow to between 25 and 30 inches tall. Eat raw or cooked/sauteed in some manner.
The strawberries are thriving with many flowers showing. Lots of white blossoms tell us that we'll pick a healthy crop in early June.
Strawberries
We've been picking asparagus for a few weeks now. With the soil and air temperatures warming up, we can see carrots, corn, green beans, zucchinis, butternut, tomatoes, cucumbers, and bell peppers sprouting out of the soil. We also put some potato seed and gourd seeds in 5 gallon containers today.The cherries, raspberries, and blackberries are all showing buds, as well.
Urban gardening really works! I hope to see you again soon.
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