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Time To Plant Those Warm-Season Vegetables

Pixabay - Sharon Ang

May is here, the days are getting longer and warmer, and it’s about time to start thinking about planting those warm season vegetables.

I’m putting out my tomatoes and such this weekend.  In the cooler valleys, you may want to use plastic mulch under the plants. Put this down, I use a large black plastic bag, and that works really well, and then add some row covers over top to protect them on those cold nights.  Be careful that you pay attention to what the temperature is inside them, on those nice warm days, temperatures can get quite hot inside there.  Often times we notice that the plants are bigger, but they may not actually fruit earlier, and the reason for that is that the high temperature damages the blossoms. 

Also, think about seeding your squash and melons.  The hot caps or row covers do really well with those.  You may want to get started with some early beans and corn as well.  Think about fertilizing your garlic and onions, they need that after all of the rain we’ve had.  And if you have some asparagus, don’t let those tiny stocks go to fern, we still have 4-5 weeks of harvest yet.  Make sure you’re out there every evening weeding and doing the things that have to happen.  

May is a busy time so get the whole family out there and have yourself a garden party.  For additional information on growing vegetables, visit your local county extension office, or the Utah State University extension website.