I feel as if I’m being a bit repetitive here since last week I wrote about frosts and freezes.
That was kind of theoretical; this week it’s after the fact!
It was cold with scattered frost – as you doubtlessly know unless you slept until noon or were vacationing in the south – Wednesday morning. But by Thursday morning it was colder and the frost was more widespread. I truly hope we didn’t receive too much damage from the contentious Canadian cold front that caused it.
This reminds us yet again that statistics don’t often lie and while we may roll the dice and get lucky, completely dodging late frosts and freezes, there’s that chance things will get nipped – just as they did this week.
And “statistically” that won’t end until sometime between Derby Day and Mother’s Day.
By the time you’re reading this, if the forecast held, it should be in the 70s again, even near 80. The problem is the damage has been done and there were certainly small, tender plants that saw their potential nipped literally in the bud early Thursday morning.
If you’ve planted veggies from the cool-weather crop list here then there shouldn’t have been any lasting damage and if there was there’s plenty of time to replant.
Just let this serve as a reminder that we still have, at minimum, three weeks before the danger statistically passes, more likely four, which gets us to Mother’s Day.
Be patient!
At best the soil temperature is around 60, more likely now in the mid-50s. Summer heat-loving veggies, again, will not do a thing but sit there with their parkas pulled around them when the dirt they are in is that cold. Warmer days will be here soon.
Now, here’s what’s happening this week with the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac, followed by the list of cool-weather-loving crops.
The moon – and hasn’t it been lovely? – is in the dark phase now and will remain there until 3:19 a.m. Saturday, April 21.Throughout this period plant only those cool-weather veggies that produce what you eat beneath the ground. Check the list below; there are plenty of them.
The signs find Aquarius (the legs) in force today through Tuesday. This is the last in this month’s series of so-so signs. The very fertile sign Pisces (the feet) rules Wednesday and Thursday with the moon still, of course, in the dark phase. Plant any below-ground producer from the list on either of these days.
All planting should cease Friday and Saturday (don’t you hate that on the weekend!) when the sign moves to Aries (the head), one of the two killing signs. Reserve these days for any activity but planting. And on Saturday the moon moves to the light phase.
The very fertile sign Taurus (the neck) comes to rule next Sunday and Monday, April 22-23. The moon will be in the light phase then so plant above-ground producers from the list.
Cool-weather lovers
Here, according to Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky, are those veggies that can be planted now, the ones that enjoy cool soil and air temperatures and can withstands frost, even light freezes: peas, snow peas, spinach, onion sets, radishes, rhubarb crowns, rutabaga, Irish potatoes and turnips, leaf lettuce, Bibb lettuce plants, lettuce head plants, onion plants.
How to be in touch
nE-mail pcase211@gmail.com or pcase@state-journal.com.
nCall or text (502) 682-5995 or call The State Journal at (502) 227-4556.
nMy Twitter account is at full speed so join me @plantingbysigns. You can also visit plantingbythesigns.net and join in more detailed discussion on my blog found there.
nAnd now I’m on Facebook so “drop by” and join me. My “handle” is “Planting By the Signs” and it’s devoted to general gardening with an emphasis on utilizing the phases of the moon and signs of the zodiac.
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