Most of our tomato seedlings are up and growing. They are still snug and warm inside the greenhouse. We’ve had some really warm days, but the forecast is for cold weather to move back in towards the end of the week.
The early spring things we planted outside are growing well as is the perennial plants we have growing here and there. The garlic we planted last fall is growing by leaps and bounds.
Our cabbage and peppers have not done as good as usual this year. In fact the peppers are down right pitiful! There’s a few holding on, but most all of them are hot varieties. Looks like I’m either going to have to start more peppers or buy plants this year.
I didn’t take care of the peppers as closely as I normally do so that is likely why they haven’t done as well or maybe it is just an off year for our peppers. As long as we’ve been gardening we know some years are just better for this or that.
The cabbage plants need to be planted and I have some onion buttons that I want to get in the ground as soon as I can. I was hoping to plant another sowing of radishes but haven’t gotten that accomplished yet. Depending on the weather I hope to work in the garden on Friday or Saturday or both.
Here’s the days we’ll aim for planting during the month of April.
Taurus: good for all root crops and above ground crops 9, 10
Cancer: best for planting above ground and root crops 13, 14
Scorpio: best for flowers and above ground crops 23, 24
Pisces: good for planting and transplanting above ground crops, trees and shrubbery 5, 6
Last night’s video: Appalachian Man – “Everybody’s Poor And Didn’t Know It”
Tipper
Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox
I’m moving (finally!) around the 12th/13th. I guess I will try to start some seeds indoors around the 23/24th, and if I can get the Greenstalk I ordered setup in time aim for some cooler weather crops in there for the 13/14th. Unlikely, but a good goal! I can always adhere closer to the signs next time.
My knowledge of gardening is sad . I had two beds of onions and shallots and it snowed four inches in mid April. My friend picked me up to drive to a luncheon. I lamented …Hope I do not loose my fresh onion sets . Never fear said Beverly this is what we Pennsylvanians call “onion snow
I’ll make note of these dates! My grandparents always had an almanac calendar but not sure if they planted by it. I picked some radishes today and have a second planting coming along. Sugar snap peas are looking good and I planted more. We have some tomato plant volunteers already. Thanks for the encouragement in the garden. We have tomato, Brussels sprouts, and carrot seedlings growing. I will have to replant cucumber and peppers. Your new tractor will be a great time saver. We got one about 2 years ago. Very nice
So thrilled about baby Ira. Congrats all around!!!!
I’ve never heard of an onion button. I looked it up. Pearl onions is mostly the explanation I got.
The elites apparently didn’t like them called onion buttons so they renamed them “onion sets”.
This morning I’ve been working in the back yard before the rain storms begin
and noticed my Joe-Pye weed plant, that I planted last fall, is sprouting..that makes me really happy! My onions and radishes are coming along nicely but still lots of work to do. We still have dogwood winter. Just like Sadie said all we have is time!!
Have a great day and stay safe!
We went last night and bought us a green house. My daughter got one gave to her and she is just loving it. She is really into herbs and stuff We’ve started on our garden beds. My husband tore every thing down and rebuilding it all. So far we have the tomatoes beds done. Next will be my cucumbers beds. I do live gardening.
My parents never planted by “sign.” He got the plants in the ground as soon as the weather improved, and the ground warmed up which was around the last of May in Ohio. He had a green thumb and everything he planted usually made it through the growing season. Here in southern Va we usually plant near the end of April and most things do well. We do have some deer, coons, groundhogs, squirrels and rabbits of which we have to fight by putting up fences and some other methods. I remember an uncle talking about planting his potatoes when the moon (full?) was out. I’m not sure if it was a full moon or whatever.
Great advice! Thank you!
We never put our plants in until Mothers Day weekend, and I can’t wait to get started.
Good morning Tipper. Our tomato seedlings look about the size of yours in the picture. If I can really get them to be healthy enough to plant outdoors one day, I will be so excited…especially because some of them are Cherokee Purple that we planted to try because of you. Our garlic is growing like crazy too and our onions are popping up. I even finally saw some wild violets growing in the grass by my basement door yesterday. Our apple tree buds are peeking out, and that worries me because we have snow predicted later this week. Hopefully it will be a soft spring snow that melts quickly. Lots of crazy weather expected in ours and surrounding areas today—so everyone please be safe.
I planted 19 cabbages yesterday. They are not in the fenced in part of my garden so I hope the deer and rabbits leave them alone. I don’t know if April Fools Day was in a good sign or not but the plants were getting rootbound and I was afraid I couldn’t wait any longer. Maybe I’m the fool. We won’t know til the kraut come home.
I don’t plant by the signs. I have planted a few potatoes from grocery store potatoes that had eyes on them, they have came up and are looking good. I have also set out some onion sets that are also doing good. I tried planting some early corn back during the warm days of March, but it turned back to cooler days and it has not done much, probably have to replant it. Three nights of mid 30 degree later on this week for Greenville, SC. I am waiting on setting out my tomatoes. Out in the country where I live there will be frost at those temperatures, it will be a few degrees colder than in the city.
I get a charge outa you NC folks putting stuff in the garden already. Up here in West (By Gosh) Va you had better wait unless it’s cabbage, broccoli, or the like (cold weather) plants. It’s any man’s guess what’s fixing to happen between now and May, but I’m betting the whole shebang on more bad weather and cold to come… I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but truth will set ya free! One of my FAVORITE sayings is ONE MONKEY DONT STOP A SHOW and I say that to say poor spindly cabbage and peppers gotta go! Get you some more PURTYS and I’d just have to see what happens with the stragglers. All we got is time I reckon. Im investing in copper pipes as many as I can muster for electro magnetism purposes for my garden. The results speak for themselves. I’m tickled pink just have my windows and doors open this morning. Lord knows that might change quickly today! Happy gardening y’all! God bless y’all Pressley’s and Wilson’s and the new baby Ira and Granny.
Our last frost isn’t until June. I am so antsy to get started indoors, but I do that too soon. I still need to wait a few more weeks.
I strolled through my garden area yesterday and my tulips are just coming up. We are getting snow later this week, so I may have to get something to cover them.
Hope you have a great day!
My grandpa, Nick Byers always planted by the signs.
Living nearly 900 miles north of where you live, most do not plant by the signs but as soon as the ground thaws–late April (risky) to mid-May (safer). Luckily, we have long fall seasons, which extends gardening a bit in the land of six-seven months of winter.