Here at Rancho McGinty, the Winter snow and ice berms are finally gone – leaving a LOT of mud, and some reminders of my forgotten/abandoned 2022 home and garden projects, sticking out of that mud, LOL.
In the actual garden, the garlic, rhubarb, asparagus, comfrey, strawberries, blackberries, and day lilies are growing like they know Summer is on the way – in fact, all of those plants will survive one of our “hey, wait a minute – it’s June!” last frost episodes. In our weather-challenging neighborhood, it’s good to grow perennial things that can handle the unexpected (and unexplained) frosts.
I see leaf buds on our choke cherry trees, and on the lilac bushes, but the fruit trees in the orchard are hanging tough, and not spending a lot of precious energy on fragile, easily-damaged growth. Usually, the lime-green “feathers” on the local tamarack trees signal that it’s time for the apple and pear trees to get busy.
Out in the berry garden, now (!) is the time to fertilize your grapes, raspberries, and blueberries before the leaves bud out, and if you intend to plant new berry varieties, now is the time for that as well. If you forgot or did not prune out last year’s fruiting raspberry canes, now is the best time to take care of that chore. Be sure to burn or dispose of the spent/brown canes, as cane borers love to overwinter in them, only to return in the Spring, and eat their way down to your precious plant crowns.
In the garden, is it safe to plant those expensive tomatoe and pepper starts? No. Is it safe to plant those expensive cool weather starts (onions, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, etc.)? Probably, toward the end of May, or maybe in early June.
In the garden, now is the time to spread and dig in the manure, leaves (you did remember to collect and bag fallen leaves last Autumn, right?), and any soil amendments (compost, wood stove ashes, etc.).
In the orchard, it will be time soon to apply dormant oil to smother all those nasty critters and their eggs that overwintered in/on your trees – apply the spray after the last overnight frost, and before the buds break out into the warm Spring air.
GARDENING CALENDAR:
09 May – our local gardening club will meet in Camden Grange and Community Center (located at 7 Camden Road, Elk, WA) at 7 P.M. for our monthly soiree: lots of socializing, gardening advice (good and bad!), a short class on growing perennial veggies in our part of the world, and snacks. We are regionally-known for being a fun and informative group of both experienced and beginning gardeners, so please join us!
10 May – I’ll be teaching a class on growing food (veggies in particular) in our area of the world, from 7-9 P.M., in the aforementioned Camden Grange and Community Center. If you experienced the shock of an “early” killer frost, and want to know how to keep those plants alive all the way to harvest, you will want to attend this class. Cost is $5 per person, and there is a cool handout. You can register for this class at the Grange website (Camdengrange.org).
11 May – the Pend Oreille County Master Gardeners (the folks who actually know what they are doing in the garden, LOL!) will teach a class on No-till Gardening in their demonstration garden in Newport. If you want to garden without the aid of engine-powered machines, then this class is for you. Class runs from 6:30 P.M. to 8:00 P.M., and you can obtain more information, and also register for the class by calling the W.S.U. Extension office at 509-447-2401.
21 May – local gardening expert Dawn Trammell and her friends will conduct an all-day (10 A.M. to 5 P.M.) workshop on an amazing series of topics: edible wild plant identification, hoophouse construction, preparing and using medicinal plants, and more. The workshop is free to the public, and will be located at 6561 Spring Valley Road, Newport, WA. You can call for more information at 509-860-4792.
24 May – local gardener Jane Bolz will present a class on garden raised beds, from 7-9 P.M., in that same Camden Grange and Community Center. You will learn how to plan, build, use, and improve raised beds for your garden – save some money, save your back, and grow great food. Cost is $10 per person, and there is an extensive series of informative handouts. You can register for this class at the Grange website (Camdengrange.org).
You can follow the happenings at our local gardening club here on our blog, or by looking at our Facebook page: Elk-Camden Garden Keepers. Great stuff, and lots of information on growing food in our neighborhood.
That’s it for this month – be careful out there – the weeds are lurking, and hungry.
