Sue is NOT in the Garden ...

… having escaped to a warmer clime! April 19 - 26

33 degrees when I woke up this morning ...

The day AFTER the "last frost" date

Last Spring Frost Date … and not a day earlier!

The high temperature was 73 degrees today. This day … April 15 … is supposed to be the "last frost" date here in central NC. It's the day we gardeners have been waiting for! Finally, it's safe to plant our beans and squash and other delicious warm weather crops.

Don't be too hasty. There's a frost warning tonight … and tomorrow night. The low is expected to hover right around 32 degrees. Oops! I've already optimistically moved houseplants outdoors. I've put flowers in my patio pots. My trays of seedlings have been growing outside, soaking up warmth and rain. And don't tell me I could lose my second attempt at beets direct-seeded in the garden!

So … precautions are taken. The house plants and the trays of seedlings have been returned to the house. The row covers have gone back up to protect little sprouts in the garden … beets, spinach, radishes, salad turnips, arugula, mustard … as well as the established lettuce, spinach, and kale.

I will not complain about the nice rains we've had the last two days, but these low temperatures are going to mess everything up. Of special concern … the local strawberry crop is in danger!

Greens Going Fast as Spring Heats Up

The dubuisson endive looks so frilly and green and gorgeous … and tastes horrible! Bitter, bitter stuff. The heat has taken it's toll. I pulled it all out of the garden today and fed it to the chickens. They loved it.

The red cardinal spinach is bolting. I ate the last of it in a smoothie for lunch. The red russian kale is on the way out. I cut the earlier planted bed today and will cut the rest in the coming week.

Greens are on the menu!

Moonflower Germination

Remember the moonflower seeds I collected from last year's plants? I planted them in trays, hoping to get some vital plants to grow and to share. I know that I've had trouble getting moonflower seeds to grow in the past, but I didn't know how finicky they could be until I read this:

"White moonflower's hard dark brown to yellow seeds have a tough coating because they are distributed by drifting in water -- often the oceans -- to reach a new growing site.

The quickest path to germination is to make a nick in the seed coat before soaking the seeds. Use a file, nail clipper or small sharp knife to scrape or cut away a small piece of the seed coat on the end opposite the hilum -- the narrower end of the seed. 

After notching, soak the seeds in warm water -- preferably kept warm in an old thermos -- for 24 to 48 hours. Germination should begin in four to 14 days as opposed to 14 to 21 days for seeds that have just received soaking alone."

I followed the seed prep directions to a T, but still didn't do the planting exactly right. I planted the swollen seeds in potting soil, not peat moss. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Read all about it here:
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/ways-germinate-white-moonflower-seeds-40500.html

Planting Seeds in Trays

I planted pepper, tomato, cucumber, and melon seeds in trays yesterday. The trays will be kept in the warmth of the house in order to encourage germination, which requires temperatures above 60 degrees. I'm looking forward to having some healthy plants to set into the garden once the danger of frost is far gone.

And so it begins ...

The bug-free winter gives way to spring.

Over-Wintered Greens "Bolt" as soon as the weather gets HOT

The spinach is currently the sweetest we've ever tasted! Four varieties of kale are ready for cutting. The smooth leaf will be harvested first as it is already beginning to bolt. The lettuces are growing vigorously but will be susceptible to the very warm temperatures expected in the coming week. Despite the healthy, lush look of these plants, their "edible" days are numbered.

The smooth leaf kale is the first to bolt

The lettuces are gorgeous!

"Bolting" is a problem with these over-wintered plants. Gardeners must work against nature's natural tendencies, finding ways to encourage plants to delay flowering as long as possible to extend the eating season. From the GrowVeg web-site:

"One of the most confusing terms that new vegetable gardeners come across is ‘bolting’.  Also known as ‘running to seed’ this is where a plant suddenly, often in a matter of a few days, starts to grow flower stems, simultaneously stopping all useful growth of the vegetable itself.  It is not just a problem for people new to growing edible plants – experienced gardeners also have to manage this problem as I found out last week when several salad plants I have been carefully over-wintering in my greenhouse suddenly shot up central stems.  Once the flower shoots form not only is growth slowed as the plants put all their energy into reproducing but they can rapidly become unusable in the kitchen as well.  Lettuce, for example, becomes bitter tasting and the leaves are less tender once the plant has bolted."

Read more about bolting and how to "prevent" it at

http://www.growveg.com/growblogpost.aspx?id=76 

Note to self:  Mizuna (mustard variety) and Rocket (arugula) do not do well sown in the spring. They are better sown in mid- to late-summer. I'm hard-headed enough to try anyway!

Reading Up - Gardening Tips

I like this idea of "planting" a bucket next to thirsty plants!
http://www.vegetablegardener.com/item/5352/how-to-grow-superb-summer-squash/page/all

Seeds

A little box arrived in the mail today … a box full of hope!

I placed an order with Johnny's Selected Seeds on the evening of April 1. Today is April 3. That's quick turn-around!

Wish I had gotten some seedlings started before now, but maybe there's still the chance to get a little head start.