Gardening Tips and Chores for April by David Barkley (April 2007)
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Gardening Tips for April
Hope the winter has not been too hard on you. We look forward to this spring being an exciting one filled with lots of interesting gardening activities.
Now that outdoor activities are beginning to pick up you will want to keep in mind some tips that will help you out in your spring gardening chores. Start easy and work your way up. Don't overexert those under-worked, winter muscles as you begin your spring gardening. Bend at the knees and lift with your legs, not your back.
If your garden space is limited, grow vegetables that are especially delicious and nutritious, such as tomatoes and green, leafy vegetables. Also select those that bear for a long time, such as broccoli. Cucumbers and melons do well on a fence, if the fruit is supported by slings. A home made trellis can save space for vining vegetables. An A frame cucumber trellis consists of two matched, ladder like structures hinged together at the top; the two sections are staggered to allow nesting when stored.
Leafy vegetables need at least six hours of sunlight to develop properly. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, squash, eggplant and peppers need 10 hours of full sun. Don't grow what your family won't eat!
When the weather is wet or cold, allow about twice the germination time listed on the seed packet. If there is no sign of growth after this time, dig around a little to check for sprouted seeds. If you find no signs of life, the seed has probably rotted and you will need to replant. For faster growth of vegetables in containers, use black plastic pots to warm the soil (81 degrees F on sunny days compared to 72 degrees for the same mixes in clay or white plastic pots).
Introducing children to gardening can be a rewarding experience for the entire family. Give them a small plot of their own with full sun, good soil, and drainage. It's a pleasant and productive way to spend time together.
Resist the urge to buy more chemicals than you can use in a season the smaller the bottle, the better. If you have aged, garden chemicals you no longer use, dispose of them according to local regulations. Do not pour them down the drain or onto the ground as this can pollute the water systems, damage the soil and possibly injure or kill plants, people and animals.
Garden Chores for April
o Delay organic mulching to allow soil to warm deeply, but act before weeds become established.
o Harden transplants of vegetables by decreasing water, fertilizer and growing temperatures. Transplant them on a shady day in late afternoon or in early evening to reduce transplant shock. Water the transplants with a half strength fertilizer solution. For a few days after transplanting, protect the plants from wind and sun by placing a piece of newspaper or cardboard on their south sides or by covering with jugs, baskets or flower pots. Water the plants once or twice during the next week.
o To better evaluate gardening successes, keep weather records along with garden records. The most important items to report are daily minimum and maximum temperatures, precipitation, cloud cover, and frost occurrences.
o An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but two carrots a day can cut cholesterol levels by 10 to 20 percent, say USDA scientists. Carrots, as well as cabbage and onions, contain a type of fiber that lowers cholesterol.
o If you plan to can or freeze, plant determinate tomatoes so the fruit will ripen all at once. If you prefer tomatoes fresh from the vine, plant indeterminate tomatoes so the ripening will be staggered.
o When tomato seedlings have five to seven leaves, they are ready to transplant into the garden.
o Newly transplanted plants should be protected from cutworms with collars. Cut strips of cardboard 2 inches wide by 8 inches long and staple them into a band which is placed around the plants. Press the collar about 1 inch into the soil.
o Don't use a weed and feed type fertilizer in the garden. Weed killers don't know a vegetable from a weed. They may injure or contaminate your crops.
o If you take your own tools to work with in community gardens, you can "brand" wood handled tools for quick identification. Paint your initials on the wood with nail polish then immediately ignite it. Repeat to make the marks deeper, if needed.
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