Advice for successful summertime planting
Most of us got some much-needed rain last week in the form of quickmoving storms that dumped as much as 3 or 4 inches in some places in a relatively short time period.
At my house, I was fortunate to get about a half-inch first, as a more gentle rain settled the dust and allowed the heavy rains that fell later on to sink in. All told, I ended up with just under 2 inches, which was enough to fill my rain barrels.
With the rain and warmth arriving simultaneously, my vegetable garden just about doubled in size, practically overnight. I resisted the urge to apply some liquid fertilizer to my stunted plants, and it turns out that I did not need to. I use mostly an organic fertilizer, dried blood meal, which is also a good animal repellent, and it really does not start feeding the plants until the soil warms to 75 degrees. It supplies a pretty high dose of nitrogen, so it must be used sparingly. Chemical fertilizers supply quick shots of nutrients, but leech out of the soil quickly when we get downpours.
I cut all the scapes off my garlic plants to allow better bulb development. This is an important measure to ensure the best size bulbs, and, the sooner it is done, the better. Leaving the scapes on will result in bulbs that are only about one-third the size they should be. I usually harvest garlic the third week of July, most seasons. I will pick asparagus until July 10 this year, which is about a week longer than usual due to getting more than starting a week later this spring. The delay in harvest was due to cool May temperatures early, as well as the heavy straw mulch I applied last fall. Asparagus benefits from heavy mulch applications each fall.
I will also apply a preventive pesticide application to most of the garden now, in anticipation of the inevitable onslaught of insects and diseases that will occur in the next couple of weeks. I know that organic gardeners are groaning about my advocating the use of preventive chemicals before pest problems appear, but I have learned that an ounce of prevention is much better than trying to “cure” or remedy problems after they occur.
Once squash bugs or cucumber beetles are observed doing damage, it is impossible to get rid of them. Tomato blight must also be prevented and cannot be cured. I will use a combination of Malathion and Funginol for now, both are chemical pesticides, but I will use organic pesticides later on as harvest season approaches.
I know there are many, many new gardens being planted this year as a result of people staying home due to COVID-19. My advice is to use preventive pest control measures now to avoid being disappointed later on. Experienced gardeners know what to expect and can act accordingly, but novices should read and follow the label directions before applying any pesticides. I often hear of people using insect killers to prevent diseases and fungicides to try to get rid of insects. Proper pest identification is crucial to good gardening. If you cannot diagnose the problem yourself, contact your local office of Cornell Cooperative Extension and ask to speak to a master gardener.
If you are buying landscape plants, ask the garden center if those plants are subject to pest problems. If possible, select plants that are relatively pest-resistant and low maintenance. I know that many people like the idea of growing their own trees and small fruit, but the challenges of growing apples, cherries, apricots, pears, plums and peaches are daunting for novice gardeners. Blueberries, grapes, raspberries and strawberries are a bit easier to manage, but require careful planning before planting. All these fruit, except strawberries, need to have their growing areas well sited with structure and soil preparation accomplished to accommodate the plants once they bear fruit.
I was pleased to buy some local fruit and vegetables from Story’s roadside farm, near Catskill this past week, as well as Bulich’s in South Cairo. Those of you
in Columbia and Ulster counties also have access to many local farm stands, and I encourage you to shop there, if at all possible. Their produce is certainly not comparable in price to the stuff I see at big box stores, but the quality is far superior and the chance to support local agriculture should not be taken for granted. If people don’t shop local, these mostly family-run farms will be forced out of existence, and that would be a tragedy for our region.