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Grab a shovel and some seeds for early gardening in the Hudson Valley, with help and expert advice from Mark Adams Greenhouses.
For gardeners who can’t wait for spring to be in full swing, don’t fret — there’s plenty of ways to get your hands dirty in April.
Now’s the time to fertilize, says Mark Adams of Mark Adams Greenhouses. Check the weather forecast and plan to spread fertilizer around berries, garlic, daffodils, small trees and shrubs, and other veggies on decent days. Adams, who provides product to Adams Fairacre Farms, says future April showers will dissolve the fertilizer into the soil and help supplement the garden.
When April finally shakes off the remaining cold, Adams suggests you do the following in your vegetable garden:
Tilling
Start agitating your garden soil! Grab a shovel or rake, or a Mantis tiller. Spread peat moss over the surface (an inch deep) if it’s a bit wet from the rain. If there’s not too much moisture, any compost can be blended in.
Cool Weather Vegetable Seeds
The best vegetable seeds to sow in April are radishes, carrots, beets, peas, spinach and Swiss chard. Plant the seeds in rows, so when they grow, weeding won’t exhaust you too much. However, carrots are a tough scenario — though it’s smaller, this plant is very similar to pesky weeds. If the carrot is planted deep enough, the weeds will germinate before the carrots and can be burned off with a propane torch, also known as “flame weeding.”
Frost Tolerant Transplants
Transplant broccoli, kale, cabbage, and lettuce rather than using seeds. Cabbage family plants can tolerate light frost and grows in cool soil. Beware: cauliflower will not grow without coverage, due to its tenderness. With enough plant food, sun, and rich soil, these plants will grow relentlessly in size.