N&C Midwest - MAY!!!

Well in my little corner of the region it looks like our last frost was a month early.  This has happened one other time in the 16 years I have lived here.  Since we have already had 2 weeks of no frost, and a forecast that shows nothing below high 30's but mostly mid-40's for the next 10 days, I am going out on a limb and putting out some seeds!  Below is the standard list of what to do in May here, with average frost date of May 15, so keep that in mind when figuring what to do for your area.  Since many of you are ahead of my season, or may be experiencing early    like me, I have included June through August, so we can all adjust according to our current circumstances! Happy Planting!  


May - Put your onion and cole crop seedlings out in the garden (beginning)
       Plant late cabbages, snap beans, and sweet corn seeds in the ground (beginning)
       Start cantaloupe, pumpkins, and winter squash indoors (beginning)
       Plant cantaloupe, pumpkins, and winter squash starts outdoors (end of May, early June)
       Direct seed cucumbers, melons, and summer squash outdoors (end of May)

June - Set out tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and any melons and squash you may have held back because of the weather.
Start sowing any fall harvest crops (end of June)


July & August - Still time to put in some fall harvest crops, but they need to be SHORT season, and count back from your average first frost date to see how late you can squeak in the last few seeds

GG

I have planted peas, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, lettuce, and radishes.  Garlic and multiplier onions and chives are up and looking good.

Next on my agenda is to do the first batch of corn, and melons and squash.  (direct seeding)

Waiting on the eggplant and tomatoes.  Am going to attempt some herbs this year too but will wait a bit longer for the weather to get more stable. 

Strawberry plants are looking good.  Waiting for the asparagus to come alive. 

We've had so much early spring snow and now so much rain.  I doubt if watering will be on the agenda anytime soon.

Amazing how fast the MM heats up when the sun finally shows up.  I could feel it this morning when I was getting some squared ready.  Of course the sun lifts our spirits too after so much dreary weather.

I'm probably with you on the being done with frost--but my spring crops have been on pause for about 10 days now--just hanging out as it has been quite cool (high temps much below normal), cloudy and rainy.  We've had measurable rain 11 of the last 13 days and 7 days in a row.  The upcoming week still has some showers and storms in the forecast, but largely 60s and a few 70s for highs. 

I usually plant out tomatoes May 10-20 and peppers May 15-25, usually depending on how the 5-day forecast looks.  This year the soil temperatures are still so cold that I anticipate I'll be on the later end--and maybe even a bit later yet, but a lot can change in couple weeks!

I'm looking forward to trying 5 new to me tomato varieties (3 in the garden and 2 in buckets).

If this weather continues to be cool I think I am going to glad that I planted so many beets, carrots, parsnips and potatoes.

I have NOTHING planted outside yet, but I have lost of basil, 12 peppers, and 24 tomatoes ready to go out as soon as nighttime temps are warm enough. Could be late May instead of mid-June this year. I am doing a Scatter Bed for my lettuce this year, in a non-SFG bed running the length of my house - northern exposure with less blazing sun in mid-summer.

jmsieglaff - I am with you on the sogginess. Today looks to be dry and I am not working, so I hope to get my onions and carrots planted. I missed Carrot Month by a few days, but I really had no time to get out there when it was actually dry. This work stuff really interferes with my gardening time!   

GG

Strawberries are beginning to bloom, asparagus and garlic humming along.  Potatoes were chitted and will be planted today with other things. 
Asparagus picture is in the How big is your Asparagus thread, these are strawberries transplanted from several beds and kinda thrown together in this bed, and a current picture of garlic:  ps, I guess you can see the asparagus behind the garlic.

Oh the advantage of living further south llama momma.  Your garlic and strawberries are looking good.

Thanks, but when the oppressive heat and humidity arrives, I'd much rather escape to your area!

llama momma wrote:Thanks, but when the oppressive heat and humidity arrives, I'd much rather escape to your area!

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could just pick up the garden and move it back and forth. 

Oh well, every area has its advantages and disadvantages.  Just the way it is. 

We do get some of the high humidity and heat.

I decided to make "hay while the sun shines". Added compost and planted 8 squares of corn and within those squares added some cucumbers.  Only planted 2 corn per square.  Will see if this works this time.  Sigh.

Then I put up a new trellis for my future tomatoes.  I now have anough trellis to rotate every 3 years. 

Now I am totally ready for a nap but it is a good tired.  If my lawn furniture was out already I probably would.

greatgranny wrote:I decided to make "hay while the sun shines".

Me too. I didn't get anything planted, but I got my 3 biggest beds (4x6 each) cleaned out and ready for planting, with trellises reset on the north end of each. Also pulled all the quack grass that was hiding my 5 day lilies. Then I pooped out. If we have some dry weather tomorrow, I will get my onions, garlic, and carrots planted, and maybe start cleaning out the next set of boxes.

GG

Goosegirl wrote:

greatgranny wrote:I decided to make "hay while the sun shines".

Me too.  I didn't get anything planted, but I got my 3 biggest beds (4x6 each) cleaned out and ready for planting, with trellises reset on the north end of each.  Also pulled all the quack grass that was hiding my 5 day lilies.  Then I pooped out.  If we have some dry weather tomorrow, I will get my onions, garlic, and carrots planted, and maybe start cleaning out the next set of boxes.  

GG

And even though we are pooped, we feel good.  There is just something about spring.  I hope after I get home from church that it will be nice enough to do some yard cleanup to add to the compost.  Oh well, if not, I'll take a nap.   

Wore myself out on Saturday, couldn't move on Sunday, planted 216 onions and 24 garlic today - with the help of my favorite 4 year old!

GG

Goosegirl wrote:Wore myself out on Saturday, couldn't move on Sunday, planted 216 onions and 24 garlic today - with the help of my favorite 4 year old!

GG

I'm tired just reading this.  My goodness, that is one bunch of onions.  (yes, pun intended)   

greatgranny wrote:

Goosegirl wrote:Wore myself out on Saturday, couldn't move on Sunday, planted 216 onions and 24 garlic today - with the help of my favorite 4 year old!

GG

I'm tired just reading this.  My goodness, that is one bunch of onions.  (yes, pun intended)   

I was pooped, but it really wasn't that hard, especially once my helper arrived!  I already had my grids drawn on the MM (no time to make new ones yet) and the first 90 already in.  For the next 2 boxes, she would give me a big handful of sets out of the bag as I pushed them into the MM where I wanted them.  For the garlic we traded, I separated the cloves and set them where I wanted them, then she would push them down into the MM behind me.  All the leftover sets I sent home with her and her mom to put in their garden that they are just getting ready to plant.

GG

What a blessing to have little ones who help.  They can do more than we think.

greatgranny wrote:What a blessing to have little ones who help.  They can do more than we think.

  

She had so much fun - and was so excited to take the 'little onions' home to grow in their garden. She was disappointed that there were no extra garlic cloves to take home but she will survive! She has been working in our gardens with us since she could walk. She eats every kind of veggie you put in front of her, and will happily snack on them in the garden as they are picked. Last season when they were still living right next door, she would come over and ask if we could pick some more peas. The two of us would stand at my pea trellis and pick the pods and scarf them down! Not one pea pod made it into a stir fry. None ever made it into the house!

They are now living in a house down the street (upgraded from renter to owner   ) so now I have to actually walk a hundred yards to garden with them!   

GG

+1

llama momma...the garlic box is looking really nice.

  Landarch,  I think taking the picture in the morning shade made it look darker and serene or something too.  I came inside a bit ago and must admit it in full sun it's a few shades lighter.

Goosegirl...I have a 4 year old who loves to make holes for seeds and help water...and a 10 month old who loves to wreak havoc on onions.

landarch wrote:Goosegirl...I have a 4 year old who loves to make holes for seeds and help water...and a 10 month old who loves to wreak havoc on onions.

     This little one wreaked MUCH havoc on her mom's garden when she was that age as well. She grasped the concept of pulling weeds, but couldn't tell the difference between the weeds and the veggies. Many pepper plants led short lives that first season!

GG

Well, another weekend has arrived. What plans are in the works for everyone this weekend? I am getting more seeds in the ground and hopefully getting the last of my boxes prepped for the warm crops. Tomatoes have come upstairs into some diffused sunlight for the first step in hardening off. Got my kitchen herbs planted in their permanent new indoor home - a 1x2 self-watering box from a very kind friend. Kitties are going to get their own treat, as I just learned that the wild mint I have been battling in my yard is CATNIP!!! Puddies will get their own indoor pot which can be replaced at any time if I accidentally let it die. I am much better with outdoor plants than indoor!

GG

Just doing some watering and harvesting some of the first asparagus.

Unfortunately this:


Means these will be spending at the absolute minimum 7 more days in the cold frame.