It's planting time for (some) Summer Crops!

With patchy frost last night, and forecast low of 35 degrees tonight, this is "winter's last gasp" I believe.  While there was frost on my car this morning, there was none on the ground.  Some of the more delicate plants may have suffered damage if I hadn't covered them up though.  Frost is less likely tonight, and so I will probably only cover the items that are most susceptible, like the fig tree with its leaves far from the warmth of the ground, and the potted tomatoes.

But then, the weather really turns to late spring and even gets a bit summer like!  Take a look at the 10 day forecast for Apex.  77 on Saturday, then 84, 87, 85, 78, 75, 78, and 77!  Yes, I want my plants in the ground for that kind of warmth!

Most of my seedlings have already spent some time outdoors in the sun, so I think they are "hardened off".  So I will plant all of the following items this weekend:

• tomatoes (6 varieties)
• cucumbers
• ornamental gourds
• pumpkin
• zucchini (2 varieties)
• Purchased herb starts: Parsley, Onion Chives, Sage, and Catnip

I will NOT be planting my peppers yet, as they like warmer soil.  Plus my pepper seedlings are still kind of weak following their transplant from the peat pellets to the 3.5" peat pots.  They need a couple of weeks to recover!  Quite honestly, I'm concerned for their health.  They just don't look as good as they did last year.

Yesterday, I added three 50 pound bags of Black Kow (composted cow manure) to my tomato beds.  I'm also going to pick up a truckload of compost on my way home today and mix it into the tomato bed and the place where my cukes and zukes will be planted, and various other locations (such as next to the arch trellis I built last weekend.

I may also make a new 2'x16' raised bed along the back of my yard for climbing vegetables, and get another piece of cattle panel to use as the trellis.  Have to get Adrienne's permission for that!

And finally, it's another Saturday work day at the Simple Gifts Community Garden in Apex.

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