Okay — you win some, you lose some. The hard frost on May 18 took a lot of farmers by surprise. Even commercial farmers lost a lot of crops. Apples, peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and other fruits could all be affected by the freeze.
Depending on where you live, it could make a big difference whether or not you lost crops — even microclimates make a difference. I had sunflowers growing two feet apart — one died, the other one looked untouched. Those of us who took a chance planting outside before Memorial Day may have won if the crops survived.
If you were wiped out of expensive bedding plants, you have to start over. It’s disheartening to see hard work go down the drain, but don’t despair. Gardeners are generally optimists. We plant a tiny seed in the earth and expect it to grow.
Weather can be a crap shoot. In mid-May we have a 26-degree freeze. Two weeks later, it’s 90 degrees, followed by cloudy days in the 50s. Three inches of rain delivered in five days helped replenish the water table. Then we looked at cloudless skies for a couple weeks.
Don’t you just love roller-coasters? Yeah — me neither! The reality is, plants want to survive. So, keep planting.
One thing important to keep in mind is that the growing season is still about four months. If you look at your seed packets, they give you Days To Harvest. Many seeds are around 50 days. Radishes can be as quick as 21 days. Brussels sprouts are about 100 days.
Succession planting will yield more food from the same space if you keep planting. Even string beans can be planted multiple times. If you harvest radishes, be ready to plant lettuce, beets, carrots, or other seeds. If you start your own plants, it’s even easier to fill an empty spot.
Don’t stop at Memorial Day. I’ve planted many seeds (or transplants) in July, and they are ready way before the season is over. Many crops actually improve with cold weather.
Beets and carrots get sweeter with cold. Spinach loves cooler temperatures and shorter day length. Chard can take the heat but also does well in September. Kale, brussel sprouts, cabbage, and other brassicas like the cold. The biggest challenge can be getting seeds to sprout or transplants to survive in the heat of summer. Water is critical.
When squash bugs or downy mildew take down your summer squash or zucchini, plant more in another location. A few tips about squash bugs — placing a board on the ground next to your squash plant is a great way to capture and kill those nasty, gray pests. In the early morning, lift the board and you’ll find them by the dozens. Be prepared to squish them, or have a jar of soapy water handy to give them a free swimming lesson!
Early morning is a great time to catch bugs while they’re still lethargic. Tap those shiny, pesky Japanese beetles into your soapy-water jar. If you aren’t squeamish, tap the beetles into an empty jar, put it in the freezer, and then feed to chickens.
Colorado potato beetles are also easier to catch in the early morning. Tomato hornworms are devilish to find as they blend in with the foliage. However, I heard recently that they are detectable at night by using a black light. I’ll be trying that out soon.
The bottom line is to just keep planting. Never give up. Each year will bring successes and losses, but gardening is a hopeful hobby. Keep your seed packets and your soapy-water jars handy. Life is grand.