Weeding Between the Lines

by Jim McGinty

Massive thundershowers, 95 degree Fahrenheit days, cloudy and humid afternoons, 34 degree nights: for our “New Normal” weather, it must be early summer.  Here at Rancho McGinty, the garlic is knee high, the apple trees are dropping the last of their huge flower display, and the compost bins are cooking with all the fresh cut (non-herbicide, thank you very much!) grass clippings, and straw bedding from our recent barnyard additions: two Nubian doelings, and two Jacobs lambs. 

The Rancho is looking (and smelling) a little more farm-y all the time!

In the Earthboxes on the deck, the chard, kale, and bok-choi are ready to eat, courtesy of Chief Seed Starter/Wife Pat and her early March plantings. Out in the orchard, I’ve planted another two dozen apple, cherry, and plum trees, and, just because I can, I planted a half-dozen maple shade trees – now if I can just keep them alive through the summer heat and drought. I use drip (actually “spray”) irrigation and long lengths of black poly hose to reduce our water usage, and to put the water where it will do the most good, right at the drip line of the baby trees.

If you have not already done so, now is the time to plant out those summer plant starts and seeds: corn, beans, peppers, tomatoes, poultry squash, pumpkins, etc., are probably safe out in the garden wilderness, BUT be prepared for late/snap frosts by keeping emergency frost blankets (Ree-May ® floating rowcover, light flannel sheets, etc.) ready to throw over the sensitive plants just in case.

At the end of the June, you will benefit from thinning the small fruit on your apple, plum, pear, and peach/apricot trees – one fruit every six inches on branches will promote fewer, but larger and sweeter finished fruit. 

Speaking of fruit trees, don’t forget to prune out all those water sprouts and suckers growing up toward the sky from the middle of your trees – you don’t need those suckers, and the trees will thank you with more fruit.

Now is the time to reduce your asparagus harvesting (you lucky gardeners, you), as the plants will start storing energy now for next year’s production (did I mention that I’m available for a grilled asparagus dinner?), and now is also the time to pick off all the basil flowers as they appear, so you can continue to harvest those most-excellent smelling and tasting leaves.

If you are a two-season (early summer and late summer) gardener, now is the time to start the seeds for the August planting of chard, kale, cabbage, lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower, and other cool (autumn) weather crops.  I’m a believer in getting the most from my hard work, so I like to plant and harvest two crops from all that very expensive (think chiropractor bills) garden soil.

GARDEN CALENDAR:

On June 9, our local gardening club will assemble in the Center Place Market parking lot (the former Riverside Family Foods - 34710 North Highway 2 – just kitty-corner across from Riverside High School) at 6:30 p.m. – we’re meeting earlier and closer to our intended tour destination, which is west of the high school.  Our walking tour will view a successful, integrated garden, complete with veggie and flower gardens, fruit orchard, and assorted cool garden art.  The public is always invited to our monthly garden tours, and you’ll be able to detect our club’s assembly area in the parking lot by all the friendly (and occasionally loud) inter-member banter.

On June 10, I will teach a class on veggie gardening, at the Newport College Center (1204 W. Fifth St., Newport) from 6-8 p.m. We’ll learn how to design, build and grow a small, but successful garden in economical, creative (think football helmets?), and efficient planters.

You can register for the class, or obtain more information by calling the center at 509-447-3835.

On June 24, I will teach a class on starting your own herb and kitchen garden, at the Newport College Center, again from 6-8 PM.  We will learn to grow delicious herbs from seeds and from plant propagation, and learn how to harvest and store those precious plant products.  And again, you can call the center at 509-447-3835 for registration.

And now, I’m off (many of my ex-friends and former family members will agree with that part of the sentence) to weed the garlic and potatoes – you know, just as soon as someone develops a viable use and market for all those “wrong place” plants (knapweed, quack grass, strangler vines, etc.), those same weeds will go extinct overnight. Sigh.

Jim writes a monthly gardening column for the garden club and the Elk Sentinel, and is a master gardener and president and founder of Elk-Camden Garden Keepers.