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sotodog

New gardener - Too late??

sotodog
16 years ago

Is it too late to start a garden? We have a small plot on the side of our home. We were considering tomato, strawberries (too late I fear) and maybe some herbs. I'm not sure what else. What can I plant at this time of year? We are in Harford County, MD.

Thanks,

Erika

Comments (7)

  • cfmuehling
    16 years ago

    It's only June, Erika.
    Plant away. Plant what you like because you also plant for tomorrow, next year, 3 years later.

    If you're looking for instant gratification, look at what's in bloom in the nurseries.

    I can't speak for tomato plants, but strawberries will continue to fruit if you get them into the ground. Mine are going nutty (thank you, Vlad!).

    Knock yourself out.
    But I'm sure someone else has more concrete advice!

    Christine

  • spanaval
    16 years ago

    I dunno about this being 'concrete advice', but I'm pretty sure you can plant just about anything as long as you keep it well watered. Of course, this is coming from the crazy lady who planted bareroot roses when we were having the hot weather in May, when they really should've been planted in March.

    With vegetables, you may be able to compensate for the lag (some things, like green beans, can be sowed directly now) by putting in larger plants. Or get varieties that will produce earlier, so you'll get your veggies before the frost gets them.

  • gemini_jim
    16 years ago

    It depends on your location. If you have dry soil and lots of sun like I do you'll have to stay on top of the watering and give them plenty of food and mulch so they'll grow as fast as possible before the really hot weather hits.

    With tomatoes, avoid any tall leggy plants that look like they've been sitting in their six-packs for 2 months, because they probably have! If they have flowers and little fruit, they better be in a big container or don't even think about it!

    Don't bother with spinach, lettuce, or cabbage-family vegetables. You'll just get flowers and seeds!

    Cucumbers and squashes can be direct-seeded now and will sprout quickly in the warm weather.

    Root crops like carrots and beets may be disappointing if you're not very vigilant about watering. Swiss chard, corn, and beans should prosper though.

    Heck, where I grew up (upstate NY, zone 5), we usually didn't start the veggie garden until June 15th, but then the summer heat was less of an issue.

    Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, oregano, and lavender, should be fine as long as you're careful with the transplanting and give them some shade for the first couple days. Basil can also be direct-seeded and loves the heat.

    Hope this helps.

  • cfmuehling
    16 years ago

    I knew someone would know. :)

    Christine
    Who is still living dangerously and transplanting shrubs, plants, trees, and planting bulbs.

  • watergal
    16 years ago

    christine, I'm living dangerously too. I still have plants from the swap that I potted up when I got them because I knew I couldn't get them in the ground right away, and they ARE going in this weekend. Honest! Got a few things that need to be moved (seems to happen every year - I wish the darn plants would just grow rollerskates!)

    If only my family and my job would go away for the whole month of May, my garden would be all caught up!!

  • karyn1
    16 years ago

    I'm still planting and will probably continue well into July. I still have winter sown plants that haven't made it into the garden. At least I got them out of the jugs and into individual containers. I never manage to get everything into the yard.
    Karyn

  • annebert
    16 years ago

    Although you shouldn't plant spinach, lettuce, and cabbage family plants NOW, you can still have them this fall by planting in August or so.

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