Garden hacks, Vegetables

Season Extenders

I used to plant everything in the garden the second week in May. Trying to get everything done in May was impossible. So, lately, I have started to plant much earlier. Last weekend I planted radish and spinach seeds. These will be followed by carrots, parsnips, peas, and onion sets by the first of April. These plants will take a hard freeze. Then by mid-April followed by onion plants, cabbage transplants, and lettuce seed. Getting this done before mid-May frees up a lot of time. There are early season extenders to keep your garden warm in the cool spring.

Floating row cover


I have used these to jump ahead of the season as an experimental, “fun” project. A lot of times they are more of a hassle but sometimes they really work. You can get floating row covers. These are transparent, lightweight mesh that goes over the row crops. These covers warm the air inside. Some gardeners use these year-round because they keep the pest like grasshoppers and aphids out.

Row tunnels

Row tunnels are like the floating row covers but use hoops, so the cover does not rest on the plants. They need to be opened with the temp get too warm.

Cloches


My mother had some old glass cloches she used. These were solid glass mini greenhouse for one plant as a young tomato plant. You removed them when the day was sunny and warm, so the little plant did not roast. Now people use empty milk jugs.

Water well


You have seen the water wells (a round cylinder with tubes, which you filled with water) placed around tomato plants. They used to be clear which allowed mold to grow in the water and now are green or red to reduce this. These really work in that the water absorbs the heat and releases it at night. The water wells may remain in place for the entire season.

Cage wrapped in plastic


I used to take woven fence bent in a 24 in circle 4 foot high placed over the tomato plant and wrapped clear plastic around the fence. There was enough plastic on top to make a lid during cold nights.

Container gardening

Any type of Container will make a Flowerpot

Any type of container will make a flowerpot. The bigger the better because the soil will not dry out as fast. The trend is to use old farm containers like buckets and wringer washing machines and plant flowers into them. The larger the container, the less you will have to water it.


The most important thing to keep in mind is drainage. Either drill in drainage holes or layer the bottom with small rocks or Styrofoam so the water can drain out of the mix. To prevent the holes from plugging up, use a cheesecloth or milking filter (if you can still get them) over the holes.


As for the potting mix, use a high-grade potting mix to allow for water draining so the soil is not soggy.
Now select your style. If a farmhouse style is to your liking, use old rusty buckets and other “antiques”. If your home has more a modern look, metal or ceramic colorful pots may have an appeal. A brick home can use terra cotta containers.


Before selecting your plants, decide if they will be in sunny or shady areas and select accordingly. Use them on the front porch, patio, deck, steps, or along walkways.

Lawns

Get the Lawn Looking Nice

What do I do to get the lawn looking nice this spring? If you have thatch (a layer of dead material beneath the grass on the ground over ½ thick), rake the dead material up and remove it. You can get a dethatcher to pull behind a mower to pull up this dead material.

Pull type dethatcher
Pull type core aerator

If you have areas that will not grow a decent layer of grass, you might have soil compaction. Compaction does not allow the water and oxygen to get into the soil to allow root growth. You can buy an aerator that removes soil plugs and scatters the plugs on top of the ground. The cheaper is to use a hand aerator for small areas.

Overseeding small area

Overseed in sparse areas with suitable grass seed.

Fertilize in mid to late May when the grass “wakes up”. This prepares the lawn before the heat and dryness of summer come.

If you have a crabgrass problem, treat it with a crabgrass preemergent around the time when the lilacs bloom. This is when the soil warms and the crabgrass seeds germinate.

For the perennial weeds like dandelions, use an herbicide spray for the better kill. A weed and feed are good if you apply it correctly. The weed surface has to be damp for the weed and feed chemicals to work.