It’s been a wild week of weather conditions, and the garden has something to say about it! As I said in last week’s garden report, Memorial Day weekend is supposed to be beyond the concern of frost and cold weather: famous last words indeed! Well, Saturday blew in gale force winds, pelting rain, and hail! Don’t be too surprised if you see cold water damage on foliage, or stress to plants (especially those that are not cold-hardy). Though I had every intention of getting my warm weather crops in the ground last week, it seems my procrastination paid off a little.
By Sunday however, things started to turn around, and it’s been getting warm out there ever since. I managed to get a hoard of native plants into the ground: Meadow Rue, Ironweed, Golden Rod, Swamp Verbena, and more. Though, I did think I had killed my Joe Pye weed when I attempted to divide the clump–and I fell victim to a classic garden mistake: killing a plant with care. In my efforts to ease the very stressed Joe Pye, I may have overwatered. Time will tell.
What else got planted in the garden? Tomatoes are now in the ground! I like to plant tomatoes with compost that has lobster shells (the calcium helps prevent blossom-end rot on fruits) and natural fertilizer in the hole. If your tomatoes have gotten a bit tall and started growing sideways, don’t be afraid to plant them a little deep. I also recommend installing a stake while planting your tomatoes, as well as a tomato cage. Tomatoes require some support, and I find installing these props early makes life much easier. Many varieties are what’s called “indeterminate,” which means these babies can be 5’ to 9’ tall (or more)! Keep your plants happy with support, and it keeps them more secure if we experience windy conditions.
With the tomatoes now planted, I will be keeping a sharp eye out for pests because I have already found evidence of Colorado Potato Beetle in my own garden. On some volunteer tomatillos (volunteers are plants that seeded themselves from last year’s crop), I found chewing damage, and the bright yellowish eggs of this wicked pest. I will preemptively apply a spinosid spray to deter these critters. For those curious, spinosid is an organic pesticide that impacts only chewing insects and can be very effective (come by the store with samples and questions). My soil is also contaminated with early blight, which is a very common disease that can infect your soil, or it can travel by wind. I will preemptively apply an organic fungicide to help with this issue. Boy, tomatoes can be a lot of work, but so tasty from your own garden.
For those growing onions, garlic, shallots, or other allium: be sure to keep them well weeded! They really need space without competition to grow to full size. And don’t forget, get a good liquid nitrogen fertilizer on your onions! It’s a great time, and having the extra nitrogen will get your plants’ foliage growing, allowing for more effective photosynthesis, which in turn will get the bulbs growing. Who doesn’t want big onions?
Soon, I will be getting my seedlings planted including peppers, tomatillos, and burgundy okra, as well as my flower seedlings. I’ll also be planting from seed summer & winter squash, cucumbers, beans, and potatoes. There is still lots of time to plant your warm-weather crops, so don’t fret just yet.
I have also been enjoying the new spring blooms around the neighborhood. The flowers on the rhododendron have been beautiful (though a little stunted from winter damage in my gardens). The buds on my foxglove, and peonies are shaping up to be a showstopper this year! I cannot wait until they finally open. Do keep an eye out for encroaching bittersweet in perennial beds. It has been running rampant around me, and these invasive plants can take down trees if they are unchecked. Alliums are blooming magnificently to the bees’ delight, my grape vines are starting to really grow, and the field chives are showing off their own cute blooms (which are edible and great in salads! Be so careful in identifying plants that are edible - safety first!).
On a final note, it seems we are in for some hot weather the next couple days! Keep yourselves and your plants hydrated.
Kate Ratta is the manager of the local feed store Nashua Farmers' Exchange, Inc. She has more than 10 years of experience working in the business owned by her aunt and uncle, Judy Ratta-Harrington and Gene Harrington, and will be contributing weekly garden reports. The store is located at 38½ Bridge Street in Nashua in the converted Boston & Maine and Concord Railroad station.
