What's Up in the Garden

Rhubard

Look at the delicious red stalks.

Strawberries

Cauliflower: Amazing, Green Harmony & Cheddar.

Row Covers

The forks are to keep my cats out.  They think I build these hot houses for them to enjoy.

I consider row covers a garden necessity. Be sure to have them on hand before spring.  Using row covers gives you a head start in the garden.  Row covers are your best strategy for extending your garden season.

What is a Row Cover?

Row covers are a spun polypropylene fabric used for a variety of purposes.  There are many brands to choose from.  They transmit light and air and come in different weights. Most are meant to lay or float directly on the plants.  Wire or PVC hoops can be used as supports and the row cover attached to the hoops.  Secure the cover with landscape staples or lay boards or PVC pipe down the side of garden beds.  You can build a simple low tunnel with rebar stakes or build a frame to suspend the cover off of plants. The lighter weight fabrics can float directly on top of plants. 

Row covers come in 4 different weights for different purposes.  They come precut to certain dimensions or can be purchased on roll of varying lengths and width.  They are available online at most garden sites and are at most garden centers. I have been using Harris Seeds to purchase mine.

Constructing a Low Tunnel 

Multiple layers of row covers can be used.  A floating row cover directly on the plants and a heavier weight row cover on the frame.

Types of Row Covers

Insect Barrier or Floating Covers 

• Almost transparent
• Lets 95% of light through 
• Used as insect barrier 
• Protects newly seeded beds from birds, squirrels, rabbits,etc
•  Boosts germination by locking in heat and moisture

Light Weight Row Covers

• Great for protecting newly seeded beds.  Lay directly on top of garden bed.
• Boosts seed germination because it warms the soil
• Protects new seedlings from birds, squirrels, rabbits etc.
• Protects new seedlings from intense sunlight while they get established
• Can be used as a second layer under a cold frame or row cover
• 4 degrees of frost protection
• 85% light penetration   

Medium Weight Row Covers

•  Used for light frost protection 
• Used as a winter cover over low tunnels underneath a layer of greenhouse plastic
• Best choice for a low tunnel in early spring
• Up to 6 degrees of frost protection  
• Allows 70% light penetration 
• Holds in more heat

Early spring greens grown with row covers and low tunnels.

 Caring for Row Covers

• Holes can be repaired with clear packing tape
• Dirty covers can be washed in lukewarm water
• Fold or roll around a tube to store
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The Early Spring Buzz

Here in Utah we are have had a very warm February.  My overly anxious apricot tree is foolishly beginning to bloom. The rest of the orchard seems to understand that if you wait five minutes the weather in Utah could change These next couple of weeks will be spent in the orchard spraying, pruning and in the garden planting cool season crops. 

Orchard To Do List:

• Prune bearing trees.  On young trees spread limbs and correct problems
• Apples bear on spurs on 2-3 year old  wood (short lateral shoots) some are tip bearers.  Peaches and apricots bear on first year wood
• Remove all mummified fruit
• On apple trees look for shoots that have dead leaves attached.  Remove these they may have been infected with fire blight.
• Be sure to sanitized your pruners when moving from tree to tree. I carry a small spray bottle with a 10% Clorox solution

Spray with dormant spray:

• Horticultural sprays or dormant oil sprays are a very important spray.  I use a plant based spray not a petroleum based spray.  You can also use a double strength Neem oil.  The spray I use is a cottonseed oil spray.  These oils are effective on aphids, peach twig borers, blister mites, and scale.  If you had a problem last year with aphids use a dormant oil mixed with Neem.
• If you spray too soon they are ineffective.  The perfect time to spray is when sap begins to flow and the buds swell.  The insects become active and are susceptible around the same time your trees decide to break dormancy. So carefully watch your trees and spray when buds swell.
• I spray all woody shrubs, trees and berries in my yard with dormant spray

I'm a bit like my apricot tree- anxious for spring.  I'm already craving some fresh produce.

Garden To Do List:

When soil temperatures are between 55-75 it's time to plant your cool season crops.  

Just stick a normal thermometer a couples inches into the soil to check.  I also check the weather for the next two weeks and if things look good I plant.

 The first seeds in the garden are peas and spinach.  Plant an open-pollinated variety of peas so you can save seeds for next year.   Designate which plants you are saving seeds from with a colored plastic tape or yarn.  Plant some peas to use the young shoots or peas tendrils in salads.  They are so tasty.

I started cabbage, pac choi, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, chard and lettuce indoors and will probably transplant them in the garden this next two weeks.  I always have floating row covers on hand to protect my plants from any severe weather.

Start tomatoes and peppers 8 weeks before your last frost date.  For my New Harmony neighbors that is within this next two weeks.

Barnyard News:

Meet the newest nubian to join the herd!

Handsome little buck!

What should we name him?