10 weeks of vegetable gardening
Week by week guide for preparing for the Spring garden during the 10 weeks before the last frost.
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Before the Last Frost
Way back in 2011 I posted a series “10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening” sharing how I prepare for the upcoming spring and summer garden before the last killing frost of the season. That series was created on my previous blog, and some of the content and pictures have been lost in the migration. As I was scrolling through those old posts yesterday, I also realized how much has changed in the garden and how much my boys have grown! Just look at this bit of sweetness: I want to breathe new life into those old posts and into my own vegetable garden preparations. The past few years seem to have…
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10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 10
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting (summer crops) outdoors is April 9.It’s April! It’s April! One week to go before outdoor planting. Check the weather and make sure there is no frost predicted, and if not, begin to harden off your plants. Because mine are in a cold frame (or a hot box – mini green house), hardening off involves leaving the cover open during the day and closed at night for several nights before planting. If your seedlings are…
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10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 9
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting (summer crops) outdoors is April 9. If you just couldn’t resist planting some of your sprouts before the last frost date, you might be a little nervous about the frost warnings for this weekend. I couldn’t help planting a couple tomatoes and squash early but saved most for planting later. Still, those seedlings are an investment of time and money, so I want to protect them. Here are a several tips for protecting…
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10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 8
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting (summer crops) outdoors is April 9 Have you given thought to what you will be going your tomatoes and bean vines on yet? This is a great time to look back over your layout plans (or to start thinking through them) and determine what type of support system you will use for plants that like to be trellised. I have used bamboo teepees for peas, green beans and tomatoes the past couple years.…
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10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 7
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting (summer crops) outdoors is April 9 We impulsively go to Lowes on the weekends. We just can’t hold ourselves back. Even Scooby requests it, always hoping for a turn on the riding mowers. This week I found myself stopping at Walmart, Burkes Brothers, and Logan’s. That’s right, THREE places. I picked up some lovely saxifraga (pink-flowered evergreen ground cover), sweet mint, lemon thyme, and some Italian climbing summer squash seeds. What caught me…
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10 Weeks of Vegetable Gardening: Week 6
Each Friday I am posting a weekly guide for prepping your home vegetable garden. In Raleigh, the last killing frost date is April 11 (on average, give or take a week), so my first weekend for planting (summer crops) outdoors is April 9.Can you believe it is only 4 weeks left until the last killing frost? I am absolutely delighted to see redbuds blossoming, although I know my sinuses will soon be barraged by pollen. This week I have been sowing flower seeds everywhere – in the ground, indoors, and in my cold-frame. Most of my seed packets say March – May, so I dove right in. I originally wanted my…
