Gardening tips to start now, sunshine or not

By Jamie Swinnerton
Tompkins Weekly

 

While the spring weather may not be here yet, there are things that local gardeners can do now to prepare for the upcoming growing season, if it ever arrives. The skies don’t have to be cloudless and sunny to get a jump on gardening.

Not all plants and vegetables need warm weather to be planted. In fact, there are some that prefer to be planted while the temperatures are still cool.

“A lot of people think they can’t plant until after Memorial Day, but they’re really missing six weeks of spring weather where there’s a lot of plants that actually prefer cooler weather to be planted now,” said Chrys Gardener, the Community Horticulture Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension. “Peas, lettuce, spinach, kale, swiss chard, these are all plants that are very frost tolerant and actually do much better in the cool weather in the spring.”

Starting seeds indoors is another step gardeners can take to prepare. Indoor lights are relatively inexpensive, Gardener said, and can be purchased at most gardening and outdoor stores. Or, for people with access to a greenhouse, Gardener said now is the perfect time to start growing plants like tomatoes. Growing seeds indoors and under a light might even have better results for some plants.

“That’s really ideal for starting tomatoes, peppers, things like that that need plenty of light,” Gardener said. “I know people try to start things on a window-sill and the plants get very leggy.”

But not all the work has to be done inside. Preparing gardening beds by weeding and clearing now will save some time in the future. But Gardener said turning the beds may not be the best technique.

“We love a technique called sheet mulching, it’s a way to prepare beds without digging,” Gardener said. “You lay right on top of the grass and weeds – this is especially for a new garden if you haven’t dug it up before. Everybody used to do all this digging and turning the soil, and now the new thinking is that just brings up a lot of weeds seeds below the soil.”

With sheet mulching, a layer of cardboard or newspaper is laid on top of the grass to block the light. On top, a layer of manure or woods chips is added.

“You can leave that to sit for like six weeks and the grass dies underneath,” Gardener said. “Especially this time of year, the grass has just gone through the winter, it’s weak, it needs light. Basically, by putting these layers on top of it you’re blocking the light. The grass will eventually die and it will turn into organic matter. That’s a really good way to plant bigger plants like tomato plants in June, or even fruit trees.”

To plant in the bed just break through with a shovel or a knife and cut a hole in the cardboard. All the organic matter from the grass and weeds will feed the new plants, and there’s less weeding involved. Techniques like these will be taught in one of Gardener’s classes through the Cornell Cooperative Extension in late May. For online resources and materials, Gardener suggests going to gardening.cornell.edu/homegardening for flower and vegetable growing guides, as well as a guide to designing different types of gardens.

While the weather is still wet and dreary there are a few things Gardener said people should keep in mind. Working soil, and walking on soil, when it’s wet can have a negative impact.

“When the soil is very wet that’s a good time to not be walking on it and not keep digging it or turning it because it actually can cause soil compaction,” Gardener said.

When designing a garden, Gardener suggests planning ahead and choosing a permanent pathway system so that gardeners are using the same beds each year without disturbing them. Over time, the soil in your beds will get better and better, and your pathways will compact.

In rural areas of the county, some gardeners have to consider the local wildlife while planning a garden. Deer populations in the area can wreak havoc to outdoor gardens that aren’t fenced off. But Gardener said that fencing isn’t the only option available.

“There’s things that the deer don’t eat,” she said. “So, if somebody wants to do a garden and they don’t want to put a fence up around their garden, they will be very safe if they’re planting onions, garlic, leeks, the deer definitely don’t eat those. The deer generally don’t eat herbs. Basil, Thyme. They don’t usually eat tomatoes or potatoes.”

For those new to gardening, start small. By planting a few tomato plants, herbs, or flowers in small pots or buckets weeding isn’t a problem, if they start with a good quality potting mix and keep the plants watered, Gardener said.

Classes offered through Cornell Cooperative Extension cover a range of gardening know-how, including pruning trees and shrubs, how to grow culinary herbs, creating a rock garden, and no-dig gardening techniques.