Iowa Farmer Today
04-01-06
Gardener learns from last year’s challenges
By Hannah Fletcher, Iowa Farmer Today
WEST BRANCH -- Gardeners itching to get outdoors can learn a few lessons
from last year.
Roberta Bowie says dry conditions had been a problem at her Eastern Iowa farm
and in her garden. Now, she is trying to prepare for this years’ potentially dry
weather.
“It was a challenge because of the lack of moisture (last year). But, the lack
moisture this winter and as we head into spring is going to present an even
bigger problem, I’m afraid,” she says.
Gardeners should use lots of mulch to lock in moisture and protect soil from
drying winds, says Bowie, president of the Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa.
To prepare this year, she watered some of her outdoor plants during the winter
and plans to mulch this spring.
“It’s a lot like farming, actually,” she says. “If you have a bad year you say, ‘Next
year it will be different.’ ”
Bowie, who is an accredited flower judge, plants mostly annual and perennial
flowers.
She has started some plants indoors and plans to plant outside after the threat of
the last frost, which is usually about Mother’s Day in her area.
For those wanting to play it safe — and are able to keep their itch at bay — they
can plant warm-season plants after the threat of the average last frost, says
Cindy Haynes, Iowa State University Extension horticulturalist.
Iowa’s regions have different dates for the average last frost ranging from May 1
in Southern Iowa to May 15 in parts of Northern Iowa.
“I always say mid-May is a pretty safe time to start. Before that, you’re taking a
risk,” she says. “It’s good to be patient.”
Last year’s late frost taught some a lesson in patience.
“We got out too early last year. Then we had a late frost, and some plants just
weren’t able to recover,” Haynes says.
This year’s mild winter may have some thinking it is time to start gardening but
cold and snowy weather in early spring may be a necessary deterrent.
“It is a good thing to delay us from getting out too early,” she says.
However, gardeners will be able to plant cool-season vegetables soon, Haynes
says.
“Starting in mid-April, they can be outside sowing seeds for cool-season
vegetables, like carrots and onions,” she says. “They can withstand some frosts.”
Other cool-season vegetables include: potatoes, radishes, beets, turnips,
broccoli, collards, cauliflower, kohlrabi, cabbage, spinach, mustard greens, Swiss
chard, lettuce, and Brussels sprouts.
Container gardening is another early option and is becoming more popular,
Bowie says.
“You can get a jump on gardening by putting plants together in containers and
starting them in the garage or someplace,” she says.
“Everybody wants early colors and you can do that with container gardening.”
Container gardening fits easily into people’s schedules, and growers can bring
containers indoors when cold overnight temperatures are in the forecast.
Bowie says the biggest challenge for container gardening is making sure plants
get ample light indoors.
This is also true for transplants that are started inside and moved outside after
about six to eight weeks, Hayes says.
“Some flowers, like dahlias, should be started inside and then transferred outside
so they will be less likely to get zapped by a late frost,” she says.
Snow and wind protect against frost, Haynes says. Snow cover acts as a blanket,
and wind sometimes keeps the low-temperatures from settling into a damaging
frost, she explains.
To protect outdoor plants from frost, growers may place the bottoms of milk jugs
over individual plants, put plastic tarps over the garden or use a wall-of-water —
a ring of cones filled with water — around individual plants.
“Protection is limited. Sometimes this only raises the air a few degrees,” Haynes
says. “Anytime it drops below 20 degrees, there isn’t much you can do,” she
says.
Avid gardeners such as Bowie,plan ahead and enjoy gardening. despite
hardships.
“It’s never going to be an ideal year. If it’s not the weather, it’s bugs. But, I love
every aspect of it,” she says.