Zones 7-8 Garden and Garden Tips - Mar - April
 |
March
- Make second plantings of such quickly-maturing crops as turnips, mustard, and "spring onions."
- Thin plants when they are 2 to 3 inches tall to give the plants room to grow.
- Treat seed before planting or buy treated seed for protection against seed-borne diseases, seed decay, seedling "damping off" and soil insects such as seed-corn maggots.
- Early-planted crops may need a nitrogen side-dressing, particularly if the soil is cool. Place the fertilizer several inches to the side of the plants and water it in. A little fertilizer throughout the growing period is better than too much at one time.
- Before settling them in the garden, harden-off transplants - place them in their containers outdoors in a sheltered place a few days ahead of planting them.
- Get rows ready for "warm-season" vegetables to be planted during the last week of March or first week or two of April as weather permits.
- You might want to risk planting out a few of the more tender crops and keeping them covered during bad weather.
- Watch out for insects, especially cutworms, plant lice (aphids) and red spider mites.
- Put down mulch between rows to control weeds.
April
- Plant your choices of the following "warm-season" or "frost-tender" crops: beans (snap, pole and lima), cantaloupe, corn (sweet), cucumbers, field peas, peppers, squash, tomatoes and watermelon.
- Plant tall-growing crops such as okra, pole beans and corn on the north side of other vegetables to avoid shading. Plant two or more rows of corn for better pollination.
- Make a second planting within two to three weeks of the first planting of snap beans, corn and squash.
- Within three to four weeks of the first planting, plant more lima beans and corn. Remember: for better pollination, plant at least two or more rows.
- Be sure to plant enough vegetables for canning and freezing.
- Cultivate to control weeds and grass, to break crusty soil and to provide aeration.
- Maintain mulch between rows.
- For the crops planted earlier, side-dress as described above.
- Plant tender herbs.
- Remember: Do not work in your garden when the foliage is wet to avoid spreading diseases from one plant to another.
Our older students learned about Italian foods, then tried home-made noodles, and these delicious raviolis! The students definitely surprised me with the outcome of this dish, as it is time-consuming and a precise method : ).
