By Zelpha Boyd
This year I started plants in the house, again. I vowed that I’d not do that again, as usually the plants get too tall and leggy before time to plant them outside. But this year I bought some heating mats to put under the trays and it’s making a difference. The ground cherries especially need the warmer soil in which to germinate. We’ll see how the growing goes and what results I have transplanting them to the garden. There are tomatoes, ground cherries, kale, and lots of flowers. The coleus is really doing great. Along about the 15th of May—when you’ll be reading this—I plan on moving all these small seedlings to the season-extending greenhouse. Moving them from inside to outside during the day, will get them hardened off. And of course, I’ll watch the weather. If a freeze is predicted, I may have to bring them back in the house.
Planting seeds in the garden can begin now for the hardier crops—carrots, peas, beets, greens of all kinds. For more tender crops like squash, cucumber, corn, marigold, zinnia, poppies, better wait a couple weeks. Here we have a short growing season, with hot days and cool nights. Some plants really enjoy this environment, especially sweet peas and delphinium. When buying seeds, seedlings, trees or shrubs, look for those adapted for our area—zone 4.
Buy local from a reputable dealer, rather than the big box stores. Have a good spring growing season; enjoy these sunny days. •
