April: It’s Go Time In The Garden

March 31, 2023March 31, 2023 Sarah

It’s almost time for the posts on Facebook about how “I wanted a garden, but I missed the time to plant”. And it is only the first week of April.

In growing zones 7 to 8, we won’t cross the last frost date till in April (for us it is April 15th). We have so much time left, if you use it wisely. You cannot sit around, but if you quickly put in a couple of days of hard work,

But more so, planting a garden isn’t a one time thing – you can plant all season long, over and over. Or…you buy starts and pop them in the ground when it is time. If you missed planting tomatoes? There is no shame in buying up a number of starts (and honestly, if you want to grow 20 different types, but only one plant each? Just buy them. It is cheaper than buying seeds).

For example, in our grow zone you shouldn’t be putting out tomatoes and pepper plants until Mother’s Day at earliest – and that is many weeks away. The baby starts are just showing up at stores/nurseries.

Look, I should not be left unattended at the feed store, when a new rack of starts is wheeled out.

Pot them up into gallon pots, in 6 weeks they will be huge plants (they must be kept warm of course, in a greenhouse for now).

1 day old in their new containers, in the sun. In 6 weeks time they will be at least 2 ft high and staked up.

It is time to put out lettuce starts and to sow bush green peas. They enjoy the cooler temperatures and can take a chill at night. I typically use our raised beds for the first crops, then go to the in ground as we reach April 15th. Raised beds get warmer earlier overall.

Baby starts now, but soon they will be huge.

For the other starts I pick up – cauliflower, broccoli, kale, cabbage and such, I split them up and pot into 4″ pots to mature more. These I keep outside in our potting area. They are hardened off already, and I want the soil to be warmer before they go into the ground. And here’s a tip: I buy these as starts rather than seeds in spring. Why? To get an early crop of cauliflower and broccoli, you must beat the late spring heat surges. Or they can bolt to seed. I save the starting from seed for the mid summer starts, for fall crops. When there is more time. For kale though, I grow it for the chickens, so I just buy a few dozen plants, to get a jump start on growing, then have plants from seeds coming in behind them.

So don’t stress. The days are far longer, the daytime is warmer, and it’s time to get working. For us, we will cross 13 hours of daylight soon, far removed from the dark days of December when we had 8.5 hours of daylight. (March 31st at our house we will have 14 hours and 46 minutes of light.)

Garden Tasks For April:

Walk your beds/garden and look for dead plants or damaged ones to pull out or fix.
Check fencing and fix as needed
Plant onion bare root sets if you have purchased them soon.
Plant rhubarb roots and bare root asparagus and strawberries as soon as possible.
Start potatoes. They can go in now.
Weed beds.
Lay down more wood chips in pathways, if you do this.
Clean out birdhouses, bird baths and bird feeders. Scrub them good.
Feed existing fruit trees, blueberries and berry canes if you haven’t yet.
Turn compost piles. Or start one!
If you have small starts, pot them up as needed to the next size.
Start putting starts for lettuce, kale, bok choy, and so on in the ground.
Clean up raspberry canes, cutting dead ones out

Seeds To Plant:

To see more on when to seed, and transplant, see here.

Below are seeds you can start in April and or are ready to transplant. The dates are not set in stone, it is a guide of what week may be most preferable to get them started. If you have a cold/wet spring, waiting a week or two more before seeding is smart.

Needless to say, the start of April is go time. And if you miss out and start seeding later? It’s OK for many crops. And for temperamental ones that bolt in heat you always can grow those as a fall crop, where they often fare better than in spring, if you miss the window, or late winter is too warm/cold.

What we are doing is using the last frost date as our guide, and backing up to figure out when to seed, be it inside, outdoors direct, or when to transplant your seedling you started inside.

So for Zone 8b, if the last frost date is April 15th, the dates going back:

1 week: April 8th
2 weeks: April 1st

Seed Chart

Beans

Bush: 52-59 days, seed direct after last frost, start inside 2 weeks before last frost. Plant every 2 weeks in ground for continuous crops.
Pole: 63-69 days, seed direct after last frost, start inside 2 weeks before last frost.

Beets

48-60 days, seed direct from March and on, every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Cabbage

80 to 150 days, start in greenhouse 6 weeks before last frost, transplant 3 weeks before last frost date.

Cauliflower

75-85 days. Start in greenhouse 6-8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Carrots

65-70 days, seed direct in ground, starting a few weeks before last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks for continuous crops.

Celery

120 days, start in greenhouse 8 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost.

Corn

Sweet Corn: 65-85 days, seed direct after last frost date.
Popcorn: Same as above.

Cucumbers

Pickling: 50-60 days, seed direct after last frost.
Eating: 50-70 days, seed direct after last frost.

Greens

Bok Choy: 44 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Direct seed after last frost.
Kale: 50-70 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Direct seed after last frost.
Spinach: 44 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Direct seed after last frost. (If too hot, grow for fall)
Swiss Chard: 55 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Direct seed after last frost.
Swiss Chard and Kale can be reseeded, directly, or in greenhouse, through the growing season.

Herbs

Start in greenhouse, transplant or set outside after last frost.

Kohlrabi

60 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Direct seed after last frost.

Lettuce

Romaine: 60-80 days, start in greenhouse 4 to 6 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.
Other leaf lettuce: 30-45 days, start in greenhouse 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Repeat every 2 weeks of seeding.

Onions

Eating: 110 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Transplant after last frost. (We grow Walla Walla). If starting this late, I would suggest buying onion starts instead of seeds.
Bunching: 75 days, start in greenhouse before last frost. Transplant after last frost. Seed every 2 weeks for continuous crops. Bunching onions are green onions, and grow quickly so can be started from seed even in spring.

Parsnips

130 days, seed direct when seeding carrots.

Peas

Dwarf: Seed directly before last frost. Direct seed after last frost for continuous crop till heat hits.
Bush: 55-70 days, seed directly before last frost.
Pole: 65-70 days, seed directly before last frost.

Peppers

Hot: 70 days, Start in greenhouse before last frost. Transplant after. This late in the season you may want to consider using starts you buy, however seeds will grow quickly this time of year and often catch up.
Sweet: 75 days, same as above.
Ancho: 80 days, same as above.

Pumpkin

Jack Be Little: 95 days, start seeds 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost. Direct seed after last frost.
Regular Pumpkins: 90-120 days, start 2 weeks before last frost. Transplant after last frost. Direct seed after last frost.

Radishes

24-30 days, seed direct after last frost.

Rhubarb

Start 8 to 12 weeks before last frost, in greenhouse. Transplant after last frost. Let establish before you harvest plants. A full year is the best.

Squash

Summer Squash: 40-70 days, seed direct after last frost. If starting in greenhouse, 2 weeks before last frost.
Butternut: 95 days, start in greenhouse 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.
Winter Squash: 105-110 days, start in greenhouse 2 weeks before last frost, transplant after last frost date.

Strawberry

Alpine: Alpine plants produce ever bearing, for a fall crop from first year plants, start seeds in greenhouse before last frost. Slow germination is normal. Once last frost is passed, transplant to gallon pots, set outside to finish growing.

Tomatoes

Dwarf: 60 days, start in greenhouse before last frost, or for bigger plants, up to 8 weeks. Transplant in first week of May. Seeds will grow quickly though in this time, so you can still plant in early April and they will catch up.
Shorter Season: 48-68 days, same as above.
Heirloom: 60-80 days, same as above.

Watermelon

80+ days, seed direct after last frost.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

Building A Garden Quickly

February 22, 2022 Sarah

In a recent talk I gave on gardening I brought up the value of raised beds in a garden. If you are thinking about growing a garden for food security or for having fresh produce as soon as possible this spring, raised beds will get you going without the months of prep needed for in ground beds. For some people though it can feel like raised beds are not a “real” garden, but they are. It’s just different is all! And you can do both. Quick beds while you take the time to get your in ground bed done properly.

When we lived at our last place, I built many raised beds in the 4 years we were there. Eventually it became a flowing area as I added more and more. It was a way to garden and fit into suburbia.

In fall we would build hoop houses on the beds. This is very easy method of extending the growing season for 2 months on each side. Or more.

Benefits:

Can be built on land that isn’t good for gardening. If your land is rocky, sandy, clay, etc this will help considerably.

Can be built in soggy areas and the beds don’t get damp.

Raised beds are quick to build.

Usable as soon as filled with soil.

Warm up faster in spring, and stay warmer into fall.

Easy to weed.

Suppresses pests such as rabbits.

Build higher for easier working in beds.

Easy to fence.

Can look “nicer” in urban settings.

Work in progress.

One of the fun things about the beds is I could do trellis systems to suit my whimsy.

And the boys loved picking.

Types of raised beds:

Wood frames

Fallen trees, cut to fit

Metal beds

Plastic beds

Cinderblock beds

Swimming pools

My personal favorite?

After many years, in 4 locations, my favorite beds are the concrete cinderblock.

Cheap to buy the cinderblocks, and made in the US (often locally made by region). You can build them 1 layer, 2 layer, even 3 layer. The open pockets on top allow for fencing or trellis to be placed in them. In a weekend you can build an entire garden.

Lay down thick layers of cardboard, then place the blocks. The cardboard will kill weeds and grass.

If you want to be fancy, lay down black yard/garden fabric instead across the area. Then do the blocks. After you are done, you can decorate the walk paths with wood chips, bark or pebbles. This will control mud and weeds (as you walk around your raised beds over time, you will wear down to the ground and it won’t look as nice).

Fill with soil, and you are ready to go. I suggest a mix of 3 in 1 soil (if you make many beds, buying by the truck is a thing) and mushroom compost or manure.

Each year, gently turn over the beds with a garden fork, and as the soil settles lower, add in more compost and gently work in.

There are other forms to use as well – concrete blocks and fancy blocks. When we lived there, the neighborhood decided to remove all the fancy blocks around the public trees. Anyone who wanted them could grab what they needed. We brought back many loads to use!

It’s easy to add in trellis systems to the beds.

Too many rocks? Make pretty walking paths between the beds.

Another raised bed we did, I loved to sit here in the herbs.

And even on our farm here? I still have raised beds. They were the first things I built when we moved in almost 4 years ago.

This is one I am still working on. I found most of the parts in the woods. All those blocks had been left to be covered in moss! So I hauled them out, and got building. I just finished filling it up with more compost, weeded and smoothed out. I am working on a greenhouse cover for it currently. It’s right by the house, so this bed will be a great “salad” bed to grow lettuce and similar in.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

Felled Tree Raised Beds

September 28, 2018 Sarah

Raised beds are great to have in a garden, but can be expensive to build. I am always looking for ways to cut cost on our farm and use what we have on hand.

With the clearing of the forested sections on our land, I have ample amounts of Hemlock to deal with. One can only buck and split enough firewood before their eyes glaze over. Using it to make low slung raised beds has been a good use for it, if it is in an area where the tractor can get to. Kirk chainsaws them into size needed, then drops them off for me using the tractor’s grapple. By then I can usually move the logs with my oldest son’s help.

The first step being to figure the location. This spot was an odd shelf of land, above the septic field, hedged in by a retaining wall, near our house. It’s not a great piece of land, and it isn’t big either. It has a trail off the side on the top, that goes up to the back of the house, which I needed to leave access to (it’s slightly overgrown right now with Salal, and the water tanks are hanging out there till we have time to put them in place).

After getting the area prepped a bit, we placed the logs. They are heavy enough I didn’t connect them at all. They are not going anywhere.

Then we added a thick layer of cardboard to smother the ground.

Once it was all ready, Kirk drove up 3 tractor buckets worth of a blend of 3 way soil and mushroom compost, that we packed in, and smoothed out.

The bed is housing 12 more of our heritage alpine strawberry plants, including a few of a new one I am growing, Tresca. I added in a bird bath, as there wasn’t any water sources for birds or pollinators close by. All were items I reused, so no extra cost. I am trying to be more conscious of water sources here, as we live in the Olympic Rainshadow and it is dry into October. Yet, I don’t want a pond because the deer are already a heavy presence here – and I don’t want raccoons. So locked up, and small water sources works well!

Add in wood chips, and fencing…and it’s done. I don’t dwell on making the beds “pretty” anymore. I just need them to work and life is good. And upcycling is about the easiest thing we can do here – and save a lot of cash!

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

Using Reclaimed Logs To Build Garden Beds

September 24, 2018 Sarah

Garden beds can be a pricey thing to build, but if you are willing to have a rustic look, you can do the framework for free. This project took a verrrryyyy long time to get done. Mostly because no one wanted to work in the hot sun all summer, and clearing the dead trees in the forested sections took precedent.

So back in the Spring, Kirk tilled the start of the design with our BCS tractor. At the time I had no idea yet where it was going to go, but I knew we needed to break the ground open before it got dry and hard. Then…it sat.

In August, as the forest fires choked the air, Kirk got on the Kubota tractor and smoothed out the land he had tilled.

With the bed now ready to use, and knowing I needed to get it done so I could plant garlic in Fall, I got busy. Using downed trees (the free part) we started piecing together a frame for the bed. The bed was cut to be 35 feet long and 15 feet wide.

The shape of the bed takes place in late August. Cardboard was being put down as well, to smother weeds.

Once I had a general frame we started laying down chipped wood, of which we have plenty of (to the point we have been giving away truck loads to people who do Back To Eden gardening). The wood chips give a walk area that will control weeds and mud – and dust in the dry seasons. It also supports the bed frame.

I ended up extending the wood chip area so we’d have a walk area on the outside as well. The raised bed frame was in most areas 2 trees high for reference.

We filled the bed with a blend of a 3-way soil mix and mushroom compost, well packed in. We kept the sides open so we could bring the tractor in to dump the soil in. Made it quick to do.

Many more U Posts added in and the deer fencing put up, along with a bird bath, and a couple of bamboo trellis I had sitting around. For extra strength, we put more downed logs around the outside, on top of the extra fencing. Did I mention how many dead alders we have had to take down? Well….at least they are going to good use!

And because I am frugal whenever I can be, I used a couple of wood pallets on the front. Why? Because it gives me a place to set things, and hang items, outside of the cage. It also helps strengthen that area of the fence. We made agate of hardware cloth tied to a pole, so it can be opened and closed. Maybe not super scenic, but it works…and didn’t cost anything, as it was all repurposed.

Side view. By enclosing the wood chip area I have a work space and an area to keep large plants inside.

The picnic table and bench were free – not good enough for using to sit on, but great as a work area. I have a sunny area to hold pots that don’t need to be in the greenhouse, but need to be away from the deer.

The extra strawberry plants I started in late summer will spend fall and winter here.

As for the area around it? Our next project is to finish digging out the land next to the bed for the greenhouse foundation. Then the greenhouse will be moved there. Once it is done, I plan on developing another large bed on the other side. I haven’t decided what to put into it, but with the rain season returning we can start digging and tilling again.

~Sarah

Gardening · Homesteading

The Newest Raised Bed

July 18, 2018 Sarah

When we were having the issue trees removed around our property, I pulled out a few for projects. We have an odd upper lawn section that I’d guess the previous owners used for nothing, but to mow it once in a while. It is where I planted rhubarb in the spring, and put in a tomato bed with bricks I found in the woods. The new beds sit on the far edge of it, with a rock retaining wall just beyond. I don’t want to till in this area as I have no idea what might be buried line-wise, and it is also hard packed soil.

A few weeks ago I put down a thick layer of cardboard, multiple thickness, then made a frame for a new raised bed with two 8 foot logs, and two 4 foot logs. As needed I tucked in a few small bricks to hold the frame in place (since the logs were not straight nor flat).

The goal was to have a permanent raised bed to showcase our strawberry plants in, so that in the coming year farm visitors can see how they grow. I put in 2 of each plant (Baron, Regina, Yellow Wonder, and White Soul). I used an organic planter/raised bed mix. It took four 3 cubic foot bags to fill it (12 cubic feet). My strawberries had been sitting in gallon pots as reference.

After planting, I covered the bed with well aged wood chips, to keep the soil from drying out, but also to smother any potential weeds.

I had leftover bricks, so I made a path between the beds. It is narrow, but is just enough I can sneak through. I smothered the area and around the bed with more wood chips.

The strawberries should do well in the bed, and continue to grow. This year’s plants have flowers and berries starting now.

Side note: After all was done, we did put a deer fence around the bed. As I have noted before, if it is close to the house, I can usually get away with a 4 foot fence, though I usually cover the fence on top, making it a cage. I save the 7 foot (pricey) fencing for down low. I love our deer, but oh does it make the garden beds not quite as attractive visually, once the fences are up!

It’s the small child catcher!

~Sarah