Oh, spring around here has been cold. Some of you who live in cooler climates than I do might laugh at the fact that we’ve hit winter clothing temperatures repeatedly into May, but I’m not. My garden isn’t laughing too hard either.
What can you do to salvage a cold spring in your garden?
Take your cues from the weather. If it’s really, really cold, you don’t need to plant, even if it is officially spring. It’s better to plant when the garden is ready instead of by the clock.
Get a head start, but hedge your bets. I’ve learned that starting seeds indoors is a wonderful idea if you can count on the weather. You see, this year I was organized. I started my seeds right when they should be started. Then spring didn’t really come, and it didn’t really come, and it’s still cold and wet out there, albeit a little warmer than it was at the beginning of April. If I’d been planning really well, I would have staggered the start of my seeds so that at least one batch would be ready to go outside when the weather was ready for the plants.
Keep things a little warmer in the garden. Whether you use individual cloches, plastic hooped row covers, or garden cloth, all of these will increase the temperature to keep your plants just a little bit warmer. If you’re really feeling ambitious, build a greenhouse or a garden room where you can start and shelter your plants.
Go with what works in your climate. This spring has taught me once again that my efforts to grow tomatoes on a rainy mountain are probably ill-advised, unless I get even more green tomato recipes. My sorrel, rhubarb, cicely, chives and onions are doing smashingly, though, and the peas are holding on. I’ve adapted my gardening to my cooler garden climate, and I need to confess that the weather will be rainy, and that I should plan my garden accordingly.
Image courtesy of juliaf at Stock Exchange.