WE'RE
WE'RE ALL
WE'RE ALL ANXIOUS TO GET OUR FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES GROWING IN
OUR GARDENS. BUT IS IT
STILL TOO EARLY TO START
PLANTING?
TO FIND OUT THE BEST
WAY TO PLANT THEM -
GARDEN
GARDEN MASTER JIM DUTHIE HAS THE ANSWERS IN TODAY'S
"YOU CAN GROW IT".
OUR MILDER WEATHER
HAS MANY OF YOU
ASKING IF IT'S FINALLY
SAFE TO PLANT FLOWERS
AND VEGETABLES IN YOUR
GARDEN. THE ANSWER
IS.. YES AND NO. IT'S A
PERFECT TIME TO PLANT
COOL WEATHER
VEGETABLES, LIKE LETTUCE,
CARROTS, AND CABBAGE,
AS WELL AS FLOWERS
THAT WILL TOLERATE
CHILLY NIGHTS AND
OCCASIONAL FROST, LIKE
PANSIES.
BUT FOR WARM WEATHER
CROPS, LIKE TOMATOES,
SQUASH OR GREEN
BEANS, AND MANY
FLOWERING PLANTS THAT
DON'T TOLERATE FROST,
YOU MIGHT WANT TO
WAIT JUST A LITTLE
LONGER. AS YOU CAN SEE
ON THIS CHART, WE STILL
HAVE A FEW WEEKS TO GO
UNTIL WE GET PAST THE
AVERAGE LAST DAY OF
FROST FOR MOST
LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT
SOUTHERN IDAHO, AT
LEAST INTO ABOUT MID
MAY.
ONE RULE OF THUMB
THAT MANY TREASURE
VALLEY GARDENERS GO
BY, IS TO WAIT UNTIL THE
SNOW HAS MELTED OFF
OF BOGUS BASIN BEFORE
PLANTING THOSE WARM
WEATHER CROPS AND
FLOWERS. THE SNOW
LINE IS GETTING HIGHER
WITH THESE WARMER
DAYS, BUT IT'S STILL
GOING TO BE A FEW
WEEKS BEFORE IT'S ALL
GONE.
THE SOIL ALSO NEEDS TO
WARM UP TO AT LEAST 65
TO 70 DEGREES FOR
SUCCESSFUL SEED
GERMINATION, AND FOR
THE PLANTS TO DEVELOP
AND GROW WELL. YOU
CAN HELP WARM THE SOIL
FASTER BY LAYING DOWN
PLASTIC MULCH THAT
WILL ATTRACT AND HOLD
THE HEAT IN THE SOIL.
AND IF YOU DO PLANT
EARLY, BE PREPARED TO
COVER THOSE TENDER
PLANTS WITH SOMETHING
THAT WILL PROTECT THEM
FROM FROST, LIKE HOT
CAPS, OR WALLS-OF-
WATER, WHICH ACT LIKE
LITTLE GREENHOUSES.
IN THE MEANTIME, YOU
CAN PLANT FLOWERS IN
CONTAINERS THAT YOU
CAN EASILY MOVE INSIDE
IN CASE OF A COLD SNAP.
AMONG MY FAVORITE
CONTAINER FLOWERS ARE
GERANIUMS. THEY ADD A
NICE BURST OF COLOR,
AND THEY THRIVE IN POTS
AND CONTAINERS,
MAKING THEM A GREAT
OPTION FOR DECKS,
PATIOS AND WINDOW
BOXES.
GERANIUMS ARE A
FAVORITE AMONG HOME
GARDENERS BECAUSE OF
THEIR ATTRACTIVE LEAVES
AND BRIGHT COLORED
FLOWERS THAT BLOOM
THROUGHOUT THE
GROWING SEASON IN
SHADES OF RED, PINK,
MAROON, SALMON AND
EVEN WHITE.
THE MOST POPULAR ARE
ZONAL GERANIUMS.
THEY'RE CALLED ZONAL,
BECAUSE OF THE BANDS,
OR ZONES, OF COLOR IN
THEIR LEAVES. THEY
PRODUCE AN UPRIGHT,
BALL SHAPED FLOWER
HEAD. THESE ARE THE
ONES THAT YOU'LL FIND
MOST READILY AT GARDEN
CENTERS.
THEN THERE ARE IVY
GERANIUMS, WITH THEIR
IVY-LIKE LEAVES. THEY'RE
ALSO CALLED TRAILING
GERANIUMS, AND THEY
ARE BEST FOR HANGING
BASKETS. THEIR FLOWERS
ARE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
THERE ARE ALSO
SCENTED GERANIUMS.
THE SCENT ISN'T SO
MUCH FROM THE
FLOWERS, AS FROM THE
LEAVES, THAT MAY SMELL
LIKE ROSES, CITRUS, MINT,
OR VARIOUS SPICES.
ANOTHER VARIETY IS THE
REGAL, OR MARTHA
WASHINGTON GERANIUM.
IT PRODUCES THE BIGGEST
FLOWER HEADS, OFTEN IN
TWO-TONE COLORS.
REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE
OF GERANIUM, THEY'RE
ALL FAIRLY EASY TO GROW
AND CARE FOR. WHEN
YOU TRANSPLANT THEM
INTO A CONTAINER, USE
GOOD POTTING SOIL.
MAKE SURE THE POT HAS
GOOD DRAINAGE, TOO,
BECAUSE GERANIUMS
WON'T TOLERATE SOGGY
SOIL.
DIG A HOLE AS DEEP AS
THE ORIGINAL
CONTAINER, AND ABOUT
TWICE AS WIDE, AND
GENTLY FIRM THE SOIL
AROUND IT. THEN WATER
IT IN.
AFTER THAT, WATER
DEEPLY WHEN THE SOIL
DRIES OUT, ABOUT ONCE
A WEEK. APPLY FERTILIZER
ABOUT ONCE A MONTH,
AND REMOVE ANY SPENT
FLOWERS TO ENCOURAGE
MORE BLOOMING.
GERANIUMS LIKE ABOUT
FOUR TO SIX HOURS OF
BRIGHT SUNLIGHT EACH
DAY, BUT THEY'LL
APPRECIATE A LITTLE
SHADE IN THE HOT
AFTERNOONS. YOU CAN
EVEN GROW GERANIUMS
INDOORS, AS LONG AS
THEY GET ADEQUATE
SUNLIGHT.
MOST GERANIUMS CAN
GROW FROM ONE TO
TWO FEET TALL AND WIDE,
SO GIVE THEM SOME
ROOM TO SPREAD, AND
YOU'LL HAVE BRIGHT,
COLORFUL BLOOMS
THROUGHOUT THE
SUMMER. AND DON'T GET
IN TOO BIG OF A HURRY
TO PUT THOSE FROST-
SENSITIVE PLANTS OUT, AT
LEAST FOR ANOTHER
COUPLE OF WEEKS. FOR
IDAHO'S NEWS CHANNEL
SEVEN, AND YOU CAN
GROW IT, I'M JIM DUTHIE.
AND
AND HERE'S SOMETHING THAT WILL HELP YOU GET STARTED WITH YOUR
GROWING SEASON.
THE U OF I MASTER
GARDENER PLANT SALE IS
COMING UP ON
SATURDAY, MAY 4TH,
FROM 9 TO NOON, AT THE
ADA COUNTY EXTENSION
OFFICE ON GLENWOOD
STREET NEAR HAWKS
STADIUM. YOU'LL FIND
HOUSEPLANTS,
VEGETABLES, FLOWERING
PLANTS, GARDENING
ADVICE AND MUCH MORE.