CALLING ALL GREEN THUMBS!
Flowers are budding, crops are growing and it’s time we join the fun! But let’s face it, growing plants can be difficult and daunting. Worry no more however! At the Co-op, you might’ve noticed we have seedling packets from High Mowing Organic Seeds! so you could start growing not only your own flowers, but your produce and herbs. We picked a few of our favorites and they’re super easy to plant! Look what’s in store for you!
Herbs are essential for cooking, baking and blending aromas. We suggest you start with these top three choices for April: Dill, Basil and Cilantro
Cilantro: You know it, you’ve seen it, you love it! Cilantro is used in so many cuisines, and it’s incredibly easy to grow. As most plants, it loves the direct sun and it doesn’t mind cooler temperatures. Just make sure you’re seeding after the hard frost is good and gone. You’ll get a consistent supply as you’re seeding from spring into summer.
Basil: Did someone say pesto? Basil is a great herb to start with. They love the full sun and dense, moist soil. You want to plant these once the frost is over and the soil has warmed up. Make sure to pinch terminal buds so you can get good branches and prevent it from flowering.
Dill: We all love a little zing, and dill does that job perfectly. It’s a versatile and fast-growing plant! It likes the full sun and drained soils that are low in fertility. Once the soil is warming, dill prefers to be sowed every 4-6 weeks to have a continuous supply. This herb is great for dips and for pickling your cucumbers to make delicious pickles! Dill especially attracts our beautiful bumblebees, since it flowers and produces nectar.
They’re needed for a well balanced diet. What’s more fulfilling than growing your very own vegetables? Skip the drive to the store and go right to your garden!
Valencia “Sweet” Onion: They’re mild and sweet in flavor; perfect for cooking! They love a cool season with a full sun and drained soil that is rich in organic matter. As soon as you can work your soil, sprinkle those seeds in. It’s recommend a good 75-85 degrees for soil temperature to really see them bloom. Just make sure you keep the soil moist and weed free!
Naval Carrots: Whether you like them raw or cooked, carrots are great for a veggie tray, a carrot cake or a delicious side! Carrots are more forgiving with light frost. They prefer raised beds with loosened soil, so best to plant there. Sprinkle those seeds down once the soil can be worked and you’ll have consistent growing throughout the spring and summer! For soil temperature, it’s recommended 65-75 degrees. For better storage in your fridge, cut off the tops.
Cabbage: So versatile when it comes to cooking! You can let them grow large in size or fare with mini cabbages. They perform and grow the best in cool conditions. Once hard frost has passed, you can start planting! A good way to note when cabbage is grown perfectly is when the tight outer leaf begins to fold back on itself. Time to pluck!
Broccoli: Broccoli is a proud vegetable. So proud that it’s sturdy against NH’s unusual weather conditions! They can grow wonderfully when it’s hot and dry, or cold and wet! You want to grow it as a transplant, but you can directly sown it in the summer if that’s your preference. Wait till the frost has gone to start planting. You can cut the center dome for smaller side shoots to harvest so you can extend the production!
Our staff chose on the Planète Rouge du Jura Poppy as a true star of the show. Can you blame us? It does have our dark pink color! Practically twins!
It loves the full sun and well-drained soils that are sandy. Very low fertility. Now these flowers are happy in beds, borders or as wildflowers. Start planting these in the spring for full blooming in the summer! It’s recommended you sprinkle these seeds directly than transplanting.
We're Blooming into Gardeners this Year!
image from: Spring Wallpapers – Wallpaper Cave
image from: Spring Weather Outlook
