Time to get your Spring Garden Ready
Now is time to get your warm season crops out!
The last spring frost was projected to be April 17, 2023, but we need to be mindful of our specific area and watch the weather closely as we plant transplants and direct seed other vegetables. UT recommends adding 2 weeks to that date to avoid any “late frost”.
The second week of May should be a good time to plan for getting the transplants out and your direct seeding started. It is just not about the air temps, but also the soil temps as well. May 9 th is the early date to plant okra in East Tennessee, and May 14 th is the early date to plant cucumbers, squash, zucchini, and other crops.
Vegetables are a great place to start with home food production. Tennessee has a moderate climate and a long growing season, which makes it possible for many vegetables to grow well in our area. You should focus on sun, soil, season, and selection.
SUN: Vegetables need full sun locations for good growth and yields. Most vegetables need 6 to 8 hours of sun per day. Some leafy crops, like lettuce may be ok with 4 to 6 hours of sun per day.
SOIL: Vegetables need good drainage and roots will require at least 6-8 inches of soul. It is a good idea to do a soil test with your local Extension Office for testing and suggestions for nutrient additions.
SEASON: Cool Crops can be grown in early spring and late fall-these include cabbage, radishes, kale & collards. Now is the time to get the warm season crops ready to transplant or direct seed. The warm season crops prefer warmer growing conditions and will be killed by frost. Beans, corn, okra, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and squash are some warm season vegetables that do great in our area.
SELECTION: Everyone has their favorite brand or variety for their special vegetable. For several years, UT Extension researchers have worked with home gardeners to complete trials to support cultivar selection for quality, yield and health. Some top performers are discussed in UT Extension publication
W657 Home Garden variety Trials. https://extension.tennessee.edu/publications/Documents/W657.pdf.
Control pests and diseases
Properly controlling pests and diseases in the garden relies upon preventative practices. It also depends on close observation to be able to quickly address any issues that come up: Do it frequently, at least once or twice a week. Inspect in a “Z” pattern, if you have a larger garden, or every plant if you have a smaller garden. Make sure to check the interior of the plant and the underside of leaves. Look for signs of insets and patterns of disease.
Provide a habitat for pollinators
Between 75% and 95% of all flowering plants on the earth need help with pollination. The following information is from Pollinator Partnership,
www.pollinator.org.
Pollinators provide pollination services to over 180,000 different plantspecies and more than 1,200 crops. That means that one out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators.
Many pollinator populations are in decline and this decline is attributed most severely to a loss in feeding and nesting habitats . Pollution, the misuse of chemicals, disease, and changes in climatic patterns are all contributing to shrinking and shifting pollinator populations.
Make room for pollinators on your property. You can visit Pollinator Partnership’s website to get a list of specific native plants for your location to attract local pollinators to your garden.
Plus, you can support local farmers and beekeepers by buying local produce and local honey. You can also share the word about the importance and decline of pollinators.
DO YOU HAVE YARD OR GARDENING QUESTIONS?
Our Master Gardener Plant Clinic is a free resource for Bradley County residents that offers plant and pest identification as well as general lawn and garden advice.
Contact us via our website, https://bradley.tennessee.edu/bradley-county-plant-clinic or you can call the office to submit questions at (423) 728-7001.
TN Tree Day was a great success. Bradley County Master Gardeners distributed 850 pre-ordered trees to local residents. State Wide, approximately 7,000 trees were distributed from 150 pick up sites/regional hubs. There were 20,000 volunteers state wide.
If you are interested in trees for 2024, visit TN Environmental website at: https://www.tectn.org.
