I'm not sure if I need my heavy winter jacket one day or the lighter leather one the next.
Crocuses have started to send up their green shoots, but are now buried beneath a protective layer of snow.
March, and spring is right around the corner. Even though March is always rather fickle in terms of weather, the average temperature will have risen by 10 degrees toward the end of the month. Spring is just 20 days away. Weather plays such an important role in gardening and we must be resourceful enough in our techniques to makedo with all types of situations. I'm betting with the weather forecasters, though, that temperatures will settle down and move in the upward direction sooner rather than later.
This would mean we should be having a warmer than usual spring and summer, as well, which could quickly translate into a few precious weeks of extra growing season.
That being the case, we should be prepared to plant our seeds earlier this year and to make sure that we have plenty of gardenready seedlings to take advantage of this. If you had enough foresight to have prepared a few beds last fall for planting, then you're one step ahead already. If not, be prepared to start digging as soon as possible.
I use two methods to determine if my soil is ready to be dug, and both of these criteria must be met before the
Soil temperature is everything, and knowing exactly what it is can be the difference between success and failure. Early crops like peas and spinach can certainly be planted as soon as the ground can be worked, but unless you plan on treating your seeds with a fungicide, the seeds can quickly rot in a cold March soil.
Just as bad is a disease known as damping off, which can afflict sprouting seeds, as this too is caused by soil that is damp and cold. When the temperature of the soil has risen to 40 degrees, then that is my "green light" to plant.
While the soil temperature may be on the rise extra early, it won't mean much if the soil is too wet to work. It's not only difficult to turn over a moisture-filled soil, it can seriously damage its structure.
With rainstorms arriving almost weekly, getting soil to dry out enough can be a problem.
A garden soil that's ready to work should be just dry enough to crumble easily in your hand and slide off your spade or fork without sticking. If we get a "planting window" without any heavy rain for more than a week, all it takes is a few more sunny days and the soil is likely to be in perfect shape for digging. Why not be ready to take advantage of an early spring to get a jump on the vegetable garden? (If you're looking for a good heavy-duty soil gauge thermometer, A.M. Leonard Company, 1-800-543-8955, sells a well-constructed, Taylor, two-inch diameter soil thermometer).
CRANKY CAULIFLOWER
I've had my share of problems with growing cauliflower and much of the reason stems from this vegetable's sensitivity to temperature. Cauliflower that matures too late in the season will bolt to seed. On the other hand, if it is subject to cold temperatures early in its life cycle, then the plants will flower prematurely and the harvest won't be worth the garden space the plants take up.
Therefore it is essential that I have garden-ready plants large enough to move outdoors by early April. To do this requires starting seeds now. I only grow enough cauliflower for fresh eating, and that amounts to about a dozen plants. I start with a four-inch pot filled with soilless medium and cover the seeds with about a quarter-inch of soil. After watering, the pot is set on the 80degree heat pad and in five days they'll have sprouted.
When the first true leaves appear, it's time to transplant them into spacious six-pack containers, where they'll remain until they are set into the garden. In late March, I'll move them again, this time into the protected, but slightly harsher conditions of the coldframe for hardening off. If the weather is fine for planting in early April, I'll move them into the garden and cover them with a light "frost blanket" to seal in extra warmth.
PARTNERING PLANTS
Placing plants together that mature at different rates saves space and maximizes yields, especially in cramped gardens.
Here's a look at some possibilities for your garden;
- Carrots and beans: Sow two rows of bush beans about 24 inches apart. As soon as the beans germinate, plant a single row of carrots between the beans. Pull out the beans when they stop producing to give the carrots room to mature.
- Peppers and beets: Plant and stake your pepper plants and then sow a ring of beets 10 inches from the pepper plants. Thin the beets when they have grown three or four true leaves. Harvest the beets when their roots have reached one to three inches in diameter.
- Lettuce and leeks: Place dual rows of lettuce alongside a single row of leeks. Transplant the individual lettuces eight inches from the leeks and five inches apart from each other. Harvest the lettuce as needed and remove entirely when it bolts to seed.
- Onions and fennel: Place a row of slow-growing Florence fennel with onions. Plant sets of onion seedlings about 10 inches from the fennel. Harvest the onions as needed or when their tops fall. Leave the fennel in place, but harvest before the temperature gets too warm.
FROM THE MAILBAG
Q: I purchased three amaryllis bulbs before Christmas and did everything the directions stated, yet none of the three bloomed. All I have is long green leaves. Have you any suggestions what I can do for next year? - M. Mihalcsik, Fairfield
A: The tender bulbous plants from South America are really Hippeastrum and are incorrectly sold as amaryllises (the true amaryllis, the Cape Belladonna lily, is a much hardier South African species).
There are a few things to be aware of to ensure that your bulbs will produce flowers, the first being to buy the largest bulbs available. Often you'll see bulbs identified only by color - white, pink, red, or striped. These are usually seedstarted bulbs, often immature in size, and they are best avoided.
The superior varieties are propagated vegetatively to guarantee identical plants, and are enormously sized bulbs sold by name such as Fire Dance, White Giant and Appleblossom.
Secondly, these bulbs require tight quarters. A pot that is too large will produce leaves at the expense of flowers.
For now, continue to water the bulb and provide plenty of sunshine and begin a regular feeding program to keep prodding more leafy growth.
Have questions? Send them to Bing J. Carbone, 46 Winthrop Woods Road, Huntington CT 06484, or e-mail them to bjcgardens@aol.com
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