Spring Miscellany

Spring has definitely sprung in the Wenatchee Valley.  This means it's time to get busy in your garden if you haven't already.  Here's a list of information that I find pertinent and might be useful:

Average last freeze  April 11           Average last frost    April 24

Plant root crops the last quarter of the moon, leafy crops between the first quarter & the full moon

Locally, potatoes are traditionally planted the week of Easter, tomatoes the week of Apple Blossom (if you live in the valley - those of us up higher need to wait until Memorial Day)

Plant root crops when lilacs are in bud

Plant cold hard veggies when lilacs begin to leaf out

Plant frost tender veggies when lilacs are in full bloom

Protect those flowers & seedlings you just couldn't wait to plant with cloches.  Homemade cloches can be made with milk jugs.

Careful not to over water this time of year.  Even if the surface looks dry, most soil still has a lot of moisture in it still.

When turning over your soil, add compost or fertilizer before you plant your seedlings

Get your mulch on early before weed seeds see the light of day.  Some of my favorite mulches are newspaper & straw, straw, grass clippings & my new favorite:  landscaping fabric.

Get more crops:  Succession Planting.  Examples:

                     April 15  plant snap peas (70days)       harvest June 25

                     June 25  transplant peppers (60 days)  harvest Sept 1

                     Sept 1    Plant kale (55 days)              harvest Oct 15

Soak pea, bean and corn seed for 24hours before planting

Plant the following flowers to encourage beneficial bugs:

Alyssum, aster, calendula, daisy, delphinium, marigold, mint, petunia, phlox, statice, sweet william, yarrow.

Wannt more thyme, oregano, marjoram, lavender?  Pull one stem gently away from the main bush, cover the part of the stem running from the bush to the leaves with dirt......wait a month and roots will have grown on the stem, cut at base and transplant.