Planting!!!
First I would like to pat myself on the back for a good decision. Ok, it was laziness, but I would prefer to reframe the situation as being the result of breathtaking foresight on my part.
I’ve written about the Three Chilly Saints before. https://8thdeadlysin.org/three-chilly-saints-of-may-the-dakota-ghost-of-winter-just-passed-transplant-talk-for-northern-gardens/
For the second year in a row, they did not arrive! Unlike last year, which saw the saints out of sight completely, this year they waited ten days. What the heck is right! As it was chilly and the task of transplanting the hundreds of plants and bulbs seems to have gotten to me this year, the peppers and tomatoes which normally would have been planted by May 15th, did not get planted.
As such, the plants were very easy to protect from the late frost we received Saturday night, as they weren’t yet transplanted. One (long) blanket covered all the peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, tomatillos, and herbs for the night. The squash and melons spend the night in the greenhouse.
So Which Chores Take Precedence in Late May?
- Planting warm weather plants after ALL risk of frost has passed. Soil temp of 50 and above needed:
-peppers
-tomato
-tomatillo
-eggplant
-winter squash
-melons
-tobacco
-okra
-corn - Before planting, check soil temp. Where do I find soil temp? Your local extension should have a link to that resource. If you are in South Dakota, I have it for you. https://climate.sdstate.edu/
- Make sure you are good with all the summer products. Suntan lotion, sunblock, hats, sunglasses, aloe, pain spray, bug spray, bug repellent plants, protective sleeves, new cushions for the patio chair…
- If you add fertilizer to your plants as you transplant them, ensure you are noting how long those amendments last and mark your calendar when they need to be re-applied. If you have a soil test report, make sure to refer back to it before applying more of any nutrient.
- Weeds are kicking into high gear. Lot of hand weeding happening. I am not using weed killer as I need all the good grass clippings I can get. I use a tool called Grandpa’s Weeder that makes it far easier.
- Mulch after you weed. I use grass clipping as I don’t treat my yard with herbicide. The general rule is wood mulches are more suitable for perennials, bushes, trees and shrubs, but it’s not a hard rule for my yard. YYMV.
- Complete the indoor clean-up. Throw away empty seed packets and tags of plants you know you’ll never plant again. Put up the indoor greenhouse, gardening tables.
- Clean up the outdoor storage area.
- Buy the seeds you need for successive planting. I purchased more pea seeds, ground cherry seeds and spinach.
- Inventory your plants. Do you need to replace any plants that didn’t make it? Do you have the variety you need? Think of your favorite summer recipes. Do you have what you need?
~ Please follow my Instagram and Youtube Channel for more Gardening Content~
[fts_instagram instagram_id=17841449763675793 access_token=IGQVJVOWphWmw3anVSdFRjamN1MEpWdG9NTHllczJiTHZA6VDZArTGp0a09VcE5SekVEcW54dFl2endXbmtiM2V4VnZAqdzUyaHVPakZAOWUpEcGN0VkhHaFBnZAzM0b2wtTEVtOWNkOXFB pics_count=6 type=basic super_gallery=yes columns=3 force_columns=no space_between_photos=1px icon_size=65px hide_date_likes_comments=yes]
~
[fts_youtube vid_count=2 large_vid=yes large_vid_title=yes large_vid_description=no thumbs_play_in_iframe=yes vids_in_row=2 omit_first_thumbnail=yes space_between_videos=1px force_columns=no maxres_thumbnail_images=yes thumbs_wrap_color=#000 channel_id=UC9RinEENP99UR_y6uJWKeug]
The End