Mid-South: April 2016 Already??

Oh, my. Happy April Fool's Day! And Happy April (Yes, already!).

We're starting the month off with storms that hit the middle of the country yesterday. I hope everyone's all right out that way!! Please check in...

Weather forecast - Theweathernetwork.com is saying that we will get a couple of nights in the mid-30's in about a week. But NOAA is saying nothing lower than 41. So I THINK that frost season is over for us. Yipee! We're getting a LOT of pollen, of course. Numbers are in the 4000's.

I've got tulips coming up in my planters! My tomatoes, onions, pumpkins, etc. are all ready to be planted. And I think I'll go ahead & direct sow the beans, peas, okra, and everything else.

So what can we plant/seed this month? LOTS!

From Gardenate.com:

Amaranth (also Love-lies-bleeding) Plant in garden.
Artichokes (Globe) Plant out (transplant) seedlings.
Asparagus Pea (also Winged bean) Plant in garden.
Basil Plant in garden.
Beans - climbing (also Pole beans, Runner beans, Scarlet Runners) Plant in garden.
Beans - dwarf (also French beans, Bush beans) Plant in garden.
Borage (also Burrage, Bugloss) Plant in garden.
Cape Gooseberry (also Golden Berry, ) Plant in garden.
Capsicum (also Bell peppers, Sweet peppers) Plant in garden.
Cardoon Plant in garden.
Cauliflower Plant in garden.
Celeriac Plant in garden.
Celery Plant in garden.
Chicory (also Witloof, Belgian endive) Plant out (transplant) seedlings.
Chives (also Garden chives) Plant in garden.
Collards (also Collard greens, Borekale) Plant in garden.
Coriander (also Cilantro, Chinese parsley) Plant in garden.
Cowpeas (also Black eye peas, Southern peas) Plant in garden.
Cucumber Plant in garden.
Daikon (also Japanese radish, Lo Bok) Plant in garden.
Dill Plant in garden.
Eggplant (also Aubergine) Plant in garden.
Endive Plant in garden.
Fennel (also Bronze fennel) Plant out (transplant) seedlings.
Florence Fennel (also Finocchio) Plant out (transplant) seedlings.
French tarragon Plant in garden.
Jerusalem Artichokes (also Sunchoke) Plant in garden.
Kale (also Borecole) Plant in garden.
Kohlrabi Plant in garden.
Leeks Plant in garden.
Lemon Balm (also Sweet balm, ) Plant in garden.
Lettuce Plant in garden.
Luffa (also Loofah, plant sponge) Start undercover in seed trays & plant out in 4-6 weeks.
Marrow Plant in garden.
Mint (also Garden mint) Plant in garden.
Mustard greens (also gai choy) Plant in garden.
NZ Spinach (also Warrigal greens) Plant in garden.
Okra (also Ladyfinger, gumbo) Plant in garden.
Oregano (also Pot Marjoram) Plant in garden.
Parsley (also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley) Plant in garden.
Parsnip Plant in garden.
Peas Plant in garden.
Pumpkin Plant in garden.
Radish Plant in garden.
Rockmelon (also Canteloupe) Start undercover in seed trays & plant out in 4-6 weeks.
Rosemary Plant in garden.
Sage (also Common Sage) Plant in garden.
Salsify (also Vegetable oyster) Plant in garden.
Savory - summer savory (also 'Bean Herb') Plant in garden.
Savory - winter savory (also Savory) Start undercover in seed trays & plant out in 4-6 weeks.
Silverbeet (also Swiss Chard or Mangold) Plant in garden.
Snow Peas (also Sugar Peas, Mangetout, Chinese Peas) Plant in garden.
Spinach (also English spinach) Plant in garden.
Squash (also Crookneck, Pattypan, Summer squash) Plant in garden.
Strawberry Plants Plant in garden.
Sunflower Plant in garden.
Sweet corn (also maize) Plant in garden.
Sweet Marjoram (also Knotted marjoram) Start undercover in seed trays & plant out in 4-6 weeks.
Sweet Potato/Kumara Plant in garden.
Thyme (also Common thyme) Plant in garden.
Tomatillo Plant in garden.
Tomato Plant in garden.
Watermelon Plant in garden.
Yacon (also Sunroot) Plant in garden.
Yam/Oka (also Oca) Plant in garden.
Zucchini (also Courgette/Marrow, Summer squash) Plant in garden.



According to The Old Farmer's Almanace, we can plant/seed the following:

Planting Calendar
Planting calendar key
Plant Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Beans
Beet
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage (Summer)
Carrot
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Garlic
Kale
Leek
Lettuce
Melon
Okra
Onion
Parsnip
Peas
Pepper
Potatoes (Maincrop)
Pumpkin
Radish
Spinach
Squash (Summer)
Sweet Potato
Swiss Chard
Tomato
Watermelon



If you plant around the moon cycle, The Old Farmer's Almanac also offers this information:

April’s Full Moon, Full Pink Moon, heralds the appearance of the moss pink, or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring flowers. It is also known as the Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon, and the Fish Moon.

A full Moon in April brings frost. If the full Moon rises pale, expect rain.

April Moon Phase Dates 2016

New Moon: April 7, 7:24 A.M.

First Quarter: April 13, 11:59 P.M.

Full Moon: April 22, 1:24 A.M. (Hmmm... frost? Not according to the weather folks. I'll let you know what happens.)

Last Quarter: April 29, 11:29 P.M.

Below are the Best Days for activities, based on the Moon’s sign and phase in April.

For Planting: Aboveground crops: 12, 13 Belowground crops: 4, 5, 23
For Setting Eggs: 1, 19, 20, 28–30
For Fishing: 7–22


FOR THOSE OF US IN GEORGIA, the UGA Extension Service says we can do the following:

Plant your choices of the following "warm-season" or "frost-tender" crops: beans (snap, pole and lima), cantaloupe, corn (sweet), cucumbers, eggplant, okra, 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.


So have fun! And get out there to become one with your garden...

We had 4 inches of rain yesterday.  I had to put a plastic cover over my newly planted tomatoes to keep them from drowning.

4 inches??? Wow... Y'all got MUCH more than we did!

Thanks for the April update Marie.  I always enjoy reading your updates.  Four inches of rain yolos?  My word, we didn't get nearly that much.

Thanks, Windmere! I appreciate that. A lot...

Sometimes I wonder because we don't get a lot of posting for the Mid-South area although it's a HUGE area of the country.

Where is everyone??

I know I am an interloper, but I learn so much from everyone who posts on this forum! And your region has some of the most knowledgeable and creative folks around! Marie, I appreciate your reminders, you guys have a different climate, etc. but still we all have similar struggles.

I know in my region, only a few really post regularly. And I appreciate that. I think a lot of folks are lurking and just don't post. WE MISS YOU!

Thanks, SR. Yes, I'm guessing that's the case.

I just wish some more of our Mid-South folks would jump in & say hi and what they're doing in their gardens. (HINT, HINT!) I mean, we cover from VA to TX. Come on, folks... really.... we're nice!

And I know that what's happening here isn't happening in Memphis or MS. Just look at Yolos - she got down into the 30's last night and she's quite a bit further south than I am. But she's also Lower South kinda on the border with Mid-South.

What's happening in our region further north?

AtlantaMarie wrote:Just look at Yolos - she got down into the 30's last night and she's quite a bit further south than I am.  But she's also Lower South kinda on the border with Mid-South.  

What's happening in our region further north?  

I guess I was not very clear on an earlier post.  According to Accuweather, the temp only got down to 50*F.  It is forecast to go down to 41 tonight, 35 this coming Friday.  

Yep, I am right on the border of middle south and lower south.  Windmere, about 5-10 miles north of me is middle.  My zip pulls up lower south.  But my weather conditions follow the middle south pattern more than the lower south.

PS - at this time of year (planting time) using gardengate is a little misleading.  Until the weather settles to above 50*F for lows, much of what gardengate says you can plant won't work.  But thank you anyway, I still look over it to see what I will be able to plant nearer the end of the month.