When to plant what O


Dorothy Dobbie


ften budding gardeners believe that you need to start all plants indoors and they faithfully start


their seed early. This can be discourag- ing for some would-be gardeners. Don’t despair. You can plant many vegeta- bles (and flowers, too for that matter) straight into the soil as soon as the dan- ger of frost has passed and once the soil is warm enough to germinate the seeds. Vegetables


Salad greens including radishes, green


onions and leaf lettuce can be planted now. These early maturing vegetables can be sown again in early and mid- summer for extra harvests. Herbs such as basil and cilantro are ready for harvest in about four weeks, so plant several crops a couple of weeks apart to ensure a continual harvest of the best tasting leaves. Most leafy vegetables and herbs are best used while the leaves are still young and tender, generally before they begin to flower. Cold weather crops include kale, let-


tuce, peas, potatoes, spinach and Swiss chard. These crops can be planted early and right into the ground. Leafy vegetables such as Swiss chard


and mustard greens are among the veg- etables that taste better when harvested for their young leaves. Harvest outer leaves of chard when they are 4 to 8 inches tall. Most varieties produce be- tween 22 and 26 leaves. You can con- tinue this harvest as new leaves emerge and grow. Harvest kale late, right after the first frost for the best flavour. Peas can be planted when the soil is still quite cool, but not cold. They take about two months to mature so if you want to plant a second crop, do so in


late June or early July to harvest before the first frost. Beans should be planted when the


soil reaches about 15 degrees C. You can continue to sow until early July for a long-lasting harvest. Pick beans often to ensure that the plant will continue to produce.


Cabbages like cool weather when they


mature. They can be sown as late as July. Root vegetables such as carrots and po- tatoes grow best when the weather is cool in spring and again in fall. Sow car- rots directly in the soil from mid April on when the soil temperature reaches 12.7 degrees C. Potatoes can be put in when you plant peas and the soil tem- perature are about 7.2 degrees C. Speed germination of vegetables and flowers that require a warmer soil tem- perature by covering soil with black plastic until they emerge. There is also a specialty product that allows infrared rays to pass through to warm the soil but will not let in visible light, which en- courages the growth of weeds. Melon, eggplant, corn, squash and pepper seeds will benefit from warming of the soil. Flower seeds


planted


Some edibles and flowers throughout


can be the summer to


prolong the harvest and the blooms. Annuals such as cosmos, bachelor but- tons, schizanthus, sweet alyssum, love- in-mist all germinate quickly and can be sown for a second fresh blooming in mid-summer. These plants can also be sown in fall to get the earliest colour next spring. Hardy perennial seeds can also be sown directly into the ground, although some may take more than the first year to flower. Spring flowering bulbs, and this in-


cludes garlic, tulips and daffodils as well as many others, should be planted in fall once frost has fallen. Summer flowering


Finding your calm in the time of Covid-19


Being a successful gardener starts with knowing your plants.


bulbs such as dahlia and gladiola need to be planted in springtime as they are not hardy enough to overwinter in the soil in most parts of this province.


Dorothy Dobbie is the founder of Mani- toba Gardener magazine, on sale at many local newsstands. Subscriptions: localgar- dener.net or 204-940-2700.


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Lifestyles 55 survey questions Please fill out thus survey and help us help you


1. Who are you? How old are you?  Male  Female  < 30  31 - 50  51 - 65  65 +  Employed  Retired


How often do you travel?


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I


n this world of chaos, finding a little calm can be a daunting task. Isolation is dangerous at the best of times. In this time of uncertainly, it’s a necessary re- sponse to flatten the curve of this spring virus. For myself, I have hun-


kered down as much as possible. I’ve found a relatively out-of-the-way walking route that I can get out and breathe some delicious spring air, while social distancing. Listening to the geese returning and the birds chirping lifts my spirits. I’m probably con- necting more often with friends and family than I usually would be. Not only to make sure they are all fairing well but also and, most importantly, helping me stay connected to the outside world. I have been baking, doing art projects to get ready for a craft sale this summer (fingers crossed). I remember the newsy letters my mother use to send me when


May 2020 Helen Harper


I first moved away from home, once a month like clockwork. They were actually about nothing much at all, but I relished them. So, get on your computers or, bet- ter yet, get out pen and paper and tell a friend, child or cousin, just what you have been up to over these few months. I have some new pots; all painted up for my spring planting. I don’t know if I’ll be able to do my usual visit to the local flower gar- dens for some annuals to fill them, but just the sight of their cheery new paint jobs makes me feel better about it all. We will get through this together. For once, living


in the middle of the county, my little piece of “no-where” is a good thing. I want to applaud all those people who have put their lives in danger to help those in need. Well done, Manitobans. Helen Harper is a volunteer at CJNU 93.7 FM Nostalgia Radio.


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