April is for Plan(ting)

Even Though it still seem like Spring is taking it’s time…

Today is April 1st. Although the ground still is cold and very wet from recent rains, you can see that early Spring flowers and grass are starting to pop. You may be inspired to start turning up the earth and start planting.

Hold on- we are still a little early (remember we just had snow) but take advantage of these time to start planning a garden that you can enjoy until late fall. Remember we can still get frost until about May 5th. The general rule is to wait until May 15th.

There are so many articles out there on the benefits of growing your own food. I have attached a couple of links that offer ideas for planting this year no matter how much growing space is available.

The first link is from the University of Illinois Extension. They have many articles, especially for beginners. If this is your first garden you don’t have to excavate your yard. You probably have a couple of spots in your flower beds
http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/basics.html

But wait, even if you don’t have any space for digging, balconies and patios provide great opportunities for growing. Horticulture experts at Kansas State created a great article on container planting. They even included some great examples of plant combinations for pots

http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/library/hort2/MF2873.pdf

Be it in the ground or in a pot both schools stress the importance of preparing the soil. Northern Illinois is known for its clay so it it needs a little help. A little compost goes a long way to healthy tomatoes. (Compost, that’s a good idea for another article).

Have questions? Here’s a great resource.

Garden Help Line
Date & Time April 1, 2009 (10:00 AM - 3:00 PM)
Location: University of Illinois Extension - DuPage County
1100 E Naperville RD - STE 170
Naperville, IL 60563 (DuPage County)
Description DuPage County Master Gardeners are available to help with your garden and insect questions and problems. At this time of year, Master Gardeners are available on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. You can call at any time during the week and leave a voice mail, and a Master Gardener will return your call.

Also, if you are in the Naperville are in May (when you need to be serious about getting your plants) visit the Naperville Community Gardeners Plant Sale. Gardeners keep their seeds and “grow their own” plants for you to grow and enjoy.

Date & Time: May 9, 2009 (7:30 AM - 1:30 PM)
Location: Garden Plots on West Street
Naperville, IL 60540 (DuPage County)

There are also Master Gardeners on site to answer any questions you may have. Master Gardeners are a group of volunteers trained by University of Ilinois Extension educators to provide a network of gardening and horticulture programs to educate the public.

More to come in a few weeks!