The Secret Gardener Tips & Techniques

It’s April and the gardening season begins in earnest! Time to prepare the beds if you haven’t already done so

The seeds you started in Feb/March can be transplanted into the garden this month.

Onions and their relatives can be either transplanted and / or direct sown early on as can lettuce and other hardy greens. Peas, beets, spinach, carrots, turnips and radishes can be direct sown throughout the month. Potatoes can go in mid month. The first week of the month is not too late to start tomatoes, peppers and eggplants planted out in late May. Late April is the time to start cucumbers and squash and melons to be transplanted into the garden a month later. Cabbages, broccoli,kale, etc…can be started inside anytime and direct sown mid-month on.

If you have a cold frame it can be put to good use to move the plants you have started in the house to the frame opening up space to start more tender vegetables and to harden off more cold tolerant vegetables before they are transplanted into the ground.

Hannah Gardening Techniques, Tips & Techniques

Vegetable and Fruit Gardeners Message: FRUITS event next Tuesday 7pm

Hi Everyone,
I want to share with you a wonderful (FREE) opportunity to learn more about vegetable and fruit gardening. Jen Boudrie, who is with the Mass Department of Agricutlural Resources (MDAR), has organized a monthly webinar series where she brings in experts to give a talk on some gardening related topic. Upcoming is a talk on growing fruits, last month the topic was seed starting. 

In addition to the monthly expert series, Jen hosts a weekly Tuesday evening meetup for anyone interested in talking about gardening. 


Both of these are free and open to the public and so I want to share this opportunity with you. If you are interested in attending the lecture on Fruits OR if you are interested in joining in Jen’s weekly Vegetable Gardening discussion group, please email her at the address below.

Happy Gardening!
Hannah

——————–

Hope you can join FRUITS! I’ll email the zoom link on March 9 beforehand.The Zoom “waiting room” will open at 6:45pm. Jen B


Perennial fruits can offer home harvests year after year.  Learn about fruits for your home garden!

FRUITS:  Planting, Pruning, Management

More and more gardeners are growing fruit for home harvest:  strawberries in June, blueberries in July, blackberries in August, and raspberries in the fall.  Blueberries are among the most popular fruits to grow in the home garden; they are well suited to New England soil.  Grapesare one of the most universally enjoyed fruits; many new varieties have excellent taste and are winter hardy.  These fruits and others will be discussed.  Specific topics can include planting recommendations, pruning, soil requirements, key pests and their management, selecting varieties, and resources.  Please send your fruit interests or questions in advance to jenboudrie@gmail.com.


Sonia Schloemann is a Fruit Specialist with UMass Extension who has been working with commercial fruit growers and teaching master gardeners for over 30 years and recently retired.  She has a master’s degree from UMass in Plant and Soil Sciences.  The focus of her work has been on sustainable fruit production practices and integrated Pest Management (IPM).

Tuesday, 7-8pm ESTMarch 9, 2021

FREE.  Registration not required. Email jenboudrie@gmail.com to get the Zoom link.Host:  The Veg/Fruit GroupCE credit 1 hour for Mass Master Gardeners (pending approval)

The Secret Gardener Tips & Techniques

Spring is on the horizon! Its March!

For early birds it’s time to get going with starting hardy vegetables indoors under shop lights on on on sunny window sills for transplanting into the garden during the first two weeks in April: Lettuce, Asian greens, Kohlrabi, parsley and good beets. Mid-month they can be put in a cold frame opening up space in the house for starting your seedlings for hot weather vegetables.

The last week or so of the month: radishes, spring turnips, carrots, beets, lettuce greens, peas and spinach and the like can be direct seeded in the garden.

During the second half of the month start: peppers and tomatoes for transplanting into the garden in late May.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast – planting times are flexible as is soil preparation that can be started mid-month or so.