Here's a Baltimore Sun blog:
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/gardening/vegetable_gardening/
In the minutes since my last post I've become terrified of vine borers.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
soil temperatures
So, as I looked over my plan I went back to the Heritage Seeds website and read the planting recommendations again. For my main garden, the recommended soil temperatures range from 60 to 80 degrees.
I searched for Baltimore current soil temperatures, and found a Dept of Ag source that is tracking the soil conditions daily in Powder Mill (a bit south of here):
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/scansmst.jsp?days=1&site=2049&state=md
According to this report, yesterday the soil was just above 54 degrees.
I also noted that my squash in particular is recommended to plant in late spring/early summer. However, I need to check some local resources on this as I'm wondering if that would reflect temperatures and conditions in a different zone.
All in all, other than being behind on my pepper sprouting, I'm feeling less behind this week as I learn that things actually need to go in a bit later than I suspected. It is supposed to be beautiful and rain free for a few days starting tomorrow, so I'm really looking forward to finally finishing my bed preparations, setting up my compost system (thanks to Shannen) and soaking up the D vitamins.
I searched for Baltimore current soil temperatures, and found a Dept of Ag source that is tracking the soil conditions daily in Powder Mill (a bit south of here):
http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/nwcc/scansmst.jsp?days=1&site=2049&state=md
According to this report, yesterday the soil was just above 54 degrees.
I also noted that my squash in particular is recommended to plant in late spring/early summer. However, I need to check some local resources on this as I'm wondering if that would reflect temperatures and conditions in a different zone.
All in all, other than being behind on my pepper sprouting, I'm feeling less behind this week as I learn that things actually need to go in a bit later than I suspected. It is supposed to be beautiful and rain free for a few days starting tomorrow, so I'm really looking forward to finally finishing my bed preparations, setting up my compost system (thanks to Shannen) and soaking up the D vitamins.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Cooperative Extension
Reading on the April tips for the Maryland Cooperative Extension I found some differing tips. They recommend not putting down the warm weather crops until frost danger is completely over and the soil is warm--around May 10th. So, that Mother's Day rule I once heard is about right.
It also sounds like I can go ahead and do my spinach, kale and lettuce now as well even though they're cooler weather. I'll probably get a yield before it gets really hot and then I'll have to do another round in autumn.
It also sounds like I can go ahead and do my spinach, kale and lettuce now as well even though they're cooler weather. I'll probably get a yield before it gets really hot and then I'll have to do another round in autumn.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Spring
The trees are all bright fuzzy green and red now, tulips are up and daffodils are fading.
Since my last post in March I've been to Florida for vacation, New Jersey for parties twice, and finished up some work projects. I believe I will be home now for a few weeks and when it stops raining in 2 days I will surely get my bed planted.
I have noticed little changes in my thinking leading me to believe that I'm perhaps beginning to think like a gardener. For example, as I watched the weather report last night I told Marc that I wished I had gotten seeds in during the good weather this weekend because they would have loved this rain to get started.
I've learned some things as well. As you know, I was confused as to when to begin planting. The rule for this is to wait for your zone's "frost free date" which here in Baltimore, ranges between March 10th and April 11th (there's only a small chance that we would have a frost after the 11th of April). If one is more experienced at nurturing seeds through a frost, one could plant in March, but for rookies like me, getting things down mid-April is a safer bet. So, I can now get seeds down any time, and the sooner the better for our yield.
Also, the rule of thumb for starting seeds inside is to begin them 6-8 weeks before the frost-free date so they can be transferred to the bed while planting the other seeds. I missed that. But, my tomatoes usually come up on their own and I also buy started plants from a little program called "BUGS" at the Living Classroom Foundation (an after school gardening program for Baltimore students) who hold a farmer's market to sell their seedlings the first weekend in May. I'm going to start my peppers and beans indoors today and I'll see how they compare to the BUGS seedlings in a few weeks and decide which to put down.
My gardening plan is ready now as well, thanks to my mom. I'm going to employ block gardening. This is a method of planting in blocks rather than rows to take advantage of the plants' natural ability to help each other. Planting my onions at the base of my tomatoes for instance offers both plants protection. From what, I'm not exactly sure, but that's what Ma says.
My main garden will contain my tomatoes and onions, cucumbers, beans, chard, peppers, zucchini, and acorn squash. I'm going to put my pumpkins behind the garage along the fence. I'm going to wait to plant my lettuce, spinach and kale in August and get some cool weather crops from them. I think typically these go down in the fall and yield early in spring, but I'll learn a little more about all that later in the season.
I'll be sticking garlic in somewhere, but we aren't sure how long my garlic will take to establish--it may take until next year. Also, I need to move my herbs. I may put them back on my porch steps to keep them close to the kitchen. My only issue with that is that I'll likely need to move them to keep them from scorching on the really hot days.
Off to dig up my seed starting kit.
Check out the website for the Maryland Cooperative Extension: http://extension.umd.edu/
Since my last post in March I've been to Florida for vacation, New Jersey for parties twice, and finished up some work projects. I believe I will be home now for a few weeks and when it stops raining in 2 days I will surely get my bed planted.
I have noticed little changes in my thinking leading me to believe that I'm perhaps beginning to think like a gardener. For example, as I watched the weather report last night I told Marc that I wished I had gotten seeds in during the good weather this weekend because they would have loved this rain to get started.
I've learned some things as well. As you know, I was confused as to when to begin planting. The rule for this is to wait for your zone's "frost free date" which here in Baltimore, ranges between March 10th and April 11th (there's only a small chance that we would have a frost after the 11th of April). If one is more experienced at nurturing seeds through a frost, one could plant in March, but for rookies like me, getting things down mid-April is a safer bet. So, I can now get seeds down any time, and the sooner the better for our yield.
Also, the rule of thumb for starting seeds inside is to begin them 6-8 weeks before the frost-free date so they can be transferred to the bed while planting the other seeds. I missed that. But, my tomatoes usually come up on their own and I also buy started plants from a little program called "BUGS" at the Living Classroom Foundation (an after school gardening program for Baltimore students) who hold a farmer's market to sell their seedlings the first weekend in May. I'm going to start my peppers and beans indoors today and I'll see how they compare to the BUGS seedlings in a few weeks and decide which to put down.
My gardening plan is ready now as well, thanks to my mom. I'm going to employ block gardening. This is a method of planting in blocks rather than rows to take advantage of the plants' natural ability to help each other. Planting my onions at the base of my tomatoes for instance offers both plants protection. From what, I'm not exactly sure, but that's what Ma says.
My main garden will contain my tomatoes and onions, cucumbers, beans, chard, peppers, zucchini, and acorn squash. I'm going to put my pumpkins behind the garage along the fence. I'm going to wait to plant my lettuce, spinach and kale in August and get some cool weather crops from them. I think typically these go down in the fall and yield early in spring, but I'll learn a little more about all that later in the season.
I'll be sticking garlic in somewhere, but we aren't sure how long my garlic will take to establish--it may take until next year. Also, I need to move my herbs. I may put them back on my porch steps to keep them close to the kitchen. My only issue with that is that I'll likely need to move them to keep them from scorching on the really hot days.
Off to dig up my seed starting kit.
Check out the website for the Maryland Cooperative Extension: http://extension.umd.edu/
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