We have definitely turned the corner here for Gardening in Mid Coast Maine when it comes to weather.
While the evening temperatures are still a wee bit too chilly to set out the exciting stuff like tomatoes and cucumbers, I suspect by the end of the weekend I’ll have my pea starts, lettuce, radish and carrot seeds in the ground.
A high of 70 degrees today! Can you believe it!?
Gardening in Mid Coast Maine
The evening temps around here for the next two weeks are supposed to be in the mid to upper 30’s to low 40’s so I can’t get too excited yet.
But the HH was out there every day this week working in the yard which has given me oodles of time to continue dyeing wool {I’m nearly done, only about 6 batches left!} and finish up my other indoor projects before it’s all hands on deck outside.
In the afternoons though I’ve been going down to the shore to collect seaweed for the kitchen garden. {I fill up the wheelbarrow and the HH lugs it up the hill.}
So far I’ve mulched around the tulips and hydrangeas.
And the peonies and chives. The HH says it looks awful. But all I see is free fertilizer and a way to keep the heat and moisture at the base of the plants.
Plus, it’s coastal New England… That’s what people do here.
The kitchen garden doesn’t look like much now, but give it another 6-8 weeks and everything will be a sea of green.
The HH bought a new spreader and put it together.
He seems pretty happy about it and Miss Lucy was able to work on her tan while he worked so she was pretty happy about that.
Poor Lucy, she was cooped up inside all winter but now… Now all she wants to do is to lay outside on the brick walkway and sun herself.
The sugar snap peas I started inside will get planted today {I have to start them inside otherwise the birds will pull up their tiny shoots}.
I think I’ll plant them along the fence {near where I planted asparagus crowns last year} so they have someplace to stretch out.
And the other seeds I started indoors a few weeks ago {tomatoes, peppers, herbs} are doing well too.
I don’t know about you, but I am ready!! Ready for warmer weather, ready for the SUNSHINE on my back and ready to grow some vegetables.
This summer the plan is to grow at least 1,000 pounds of vegetables. Yee-Haw! Here we go! Bring on the warmer weather because I am ready.
~Mavis
P.S. Have you already started your cooler weather crops {lettuce, carrots, peas}? If so, what state are you in? I always think it’s interesting as to when people are able to get their garden in. Aren’t you?
Meg C says
Hi Mavis! In past years, my peas were always getting dug up by squirrels and/or eaten by birds … until this year! This year I tented the pea trellises with tulle fabric & all of my peas are growing strong (they’re almost ready to start climbing!). I’m so excited that the tulle worked so well to keep my peas safe from the critters!
PS I live in northeast Ohio & plant my peas directly in the ground on/near St Patrick’s Day.
Wendy C says
I am in central Alabama. Hubby is tilling the garden now. He tills at least three times before we plant. This will be our biggest garden yet and that is saying a lot. The last two years about killed me. 🙂 But I am getting excited about it. I just need to get my daughter’s wedding behind me and then it will be full-on garden time. I am thinking we will probably plant May 6. We always plant tomatoes, peppers, green beans, a small half-row of okra, black-eyed peas, cantaloupe, and yellow squash and butternut squash. With our fruit trees that should keep me busy for most of the summer.
Mavis Butterfield says
Are your black eyed peas for drying?
Wendy C says
I do dry some to use for seed for next year, but I blanch and freeze then in quart bags to preserve them.
Mel says
I’ve never had an issue with birds pulling up peas, and we have a ton of birds. I wonder what causes that.
We aren’t doing cool season crops (zone 7b, coastal southern Maryland), but I ordered some herb starts that I need to pop in their pots (hyssop, lemon verbena, more chives, and basil). I think our bay tree died (it’s iffy in this zone), but our other perennial herbs and flowers (sage, rosemary, mint, catmint, chives, blue and black sage, agastache, cardinal flower, etc.) came back.
We also ordered tomato starts which have arrived already. It’s a little early for them, so we’ll plant them in pop up cloches. Other than that, I just have packets of flower seeds and cinnamon basil that I need to sew to fill empty pots.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’m glad you’re doing a garden this year Mel!!
Rosemary says
On March 17th I planted everything (north Florida) – tomatoes, bell peppers, beets, onions, red leaf lettuce, sunflowers, eggplant, corn, spinach, radishes, beans, romaine lettuce, cucumbers and marigolds. Last week I put in another planting of onion sets. They are all planted in the ground inside my “topless” greenhouse and so far, they are all doing well. I have already picked a bunch of red leaf lettuce. We have had some cold nights and a really bad hailstorm but I it didn’t seem to affect the plants (except for the spinach – it got a little beat down but has since revived). Once we get the really hot weather, I will be able to see if this “topless” greenhouse idea will actually work.
Mavis Butterfield says
I’m excited to hear if your greenhouse idea works too! Keep us posted.
Maureen says
I used to live by an inland lake and had very sandy soil. Every year I would go to the neighbors on the lake, repeatedly, and trudge home with a wheelbarrow full of seaweed. I’m convinced someday someone will wonder if the land had been underwater due to all the small shells in the soil. But I’m also sure if was the only reason I could grow anything, by mulching to hold in moisture and the slow incorporation of organic matter over time.
Mavis Butterfield says
I think the seaweed really helps. Plus, it’s free! 🙂
Mrs. C. says
Mavis, would you check with the HH and let guys know what spreader he got, as well as his wood chipper, please? Thank you. I am behind on my garden because we got…cows. So, I’ve been busy.
Mavis Butterfield says
Cows!!! Meat or dairy? You’re crazy!
Chipper: https://www.onehundreddollarsamonth.com/the-hh-buys-a-dr-chipper-shredder-pro-400/
Spreader {for attaching to the riding lawnmower}: https://amzn.to/408MYSQ
Mrs. C. says
Dairy! And a lot of people think the same and ask me what
I’m going to do with them! Um, drink the milk?
Mavis Butterfield says
I’d be all in it for the cheese! 🙂 Good for you. Let us know how it goes.
Mrs. C. says
So far I’ve made mozzarella! I will keep you posted.
Margo says
Southern California here. Most of my spring garden has been harvested and I’m starting my summer garden. I still have carrots, garlic, potatoes, and onions growing. It’s been unusually cool here this spring, so everything is late. The onions haven’t bulbed up yet. It’s supposed to warm up in the next few days and I’m going to be hardening off the tomatoes and various squashes to plant next week. Citrus has wound down now, really enjoyed our Mandarin oranges this year. Need to get the chamomile and borage going as well.
Diana says
I live inland a few miles from San Diego. We have had crazy weather this year. In the last four months it has been over 70 degrees three times, and has been mostly cloudy and rainy. My lettuce has already bolted, and my cilantro. I have been harvesting a lot of beets, collards, kale, eggplant, passion fruit, and herbs. The citrus has been going off, and a ton of avocados. It is fun to grow more food than we need and to share it with friends and family. I just planted one more round a heat tolerant lettuce, and my tomato and pepper starts. My peas and beans are blooming. Kind of a confusing season for the garden and everything is overlapping this year.
Laura says
Does the salt in the seaweed affect the soil or plants at all?
Mavis Butterfield says
We used it last year around the tomatoes and squash and it worked great.
Emily says
How do you keep the paths between rows from getting too muddy/messy in your kitchen garden? I’m having to switch to in ground planting now that we have moved. I always used raised beds before and I’m a little apprehensive about how to keep everything looking presentable.
Deborah R says
Yes, I was wondering how you maintain and prep your hills in your kitchen garden. I love that look.
Mavis Butterfield says
For some strange reason, I don’t do anything between the rows and they are really easy to keep clean. I over plant the hills to help cut down on weeds and that seems to help.
Amy says
We’re in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan (zone 5b) and while we did have a good melt this week we’re due for another snowstorm this weekend.
I’ve started everything inside (like you, Mavis, I start my peas inside).
I’m ready to get out and paint my garden fence, mulch and compost and get going, but I’ve got another 4 weeks to go before that’s realistic (there’s still a foot of snow in my garden). I generally plant everything out on Memorial Day.
Lori says
We are in N. Texas, just north of Dallas and we planted our garden last weekend. We planted all the warm weather stuff…squash, tomatoes, lettuces, strawberries, cucumbers, peppers, cantaloupe, okra, collard greens, etc.
Mimi says
I’m in W. Oregon (zone 8b) and we finally have a sunny day! It’s been a cold, wet spring so far, very frustrating for gardeners. My peas are just a few inches tall – the birds here wait until after the peas have blossomed and then they start shredding the leaves to bits – something I’ve never experienced anywhere else I’ve lived. I’ve had a continuous crop of salad greens under frost fabric since early fall and my new lettuce seedlings will take their place. Also sprouting are bok choy, chard and broccoli. Carrots and beets will be direct seeded this weekend, tomatoes and peppers are still indoors waiting for warm weather which could be late this year. It snowed near here a couple of days ago.
Tanya says
I’m getting ready to put up deer netting around my garden spot in the morning if it doesn’t rain. This is my first year gardening in Arkansas after 15 years of gardening in the desert of central Washington. The weather here is unpredictable. A couple weeks ago we had a high in the 30’s and today it was over 80°! I didn’t get my cool season stuff planted and now I fear it’s too late. I may throw a couple rows of peas in the ground just to see what they’ll do. Thankfully the previous owners of our house had a garden at some point and the soil they added looks lovely. The rest of the property is very rocky so I’m grateful!
Susie says
Maybe the HH could run the dried seaweed through his chipper-shredder to mulch it up. He might find the chopped-up mulch more aesthetically pleasing. 🙂
Mavis Butterfield says
Ha ha… I’ll suggest that. 🙂
Dianne says
Last weekend I planted out broccolini plants I started from seed and planted some lettuce, kale, spinach and Japanese turnips all of which are up. It’s been unusually warm here in central Iowa lately.
Torry says
It was 50 degrees in the Tacoma, WA area today. Sigh.
KCB says
We live near the HB family. It’s still in the 30s in the mornings & we have had rain daily, incredible several big episodes of hail.