6 Cool Season Crops to Plant in May

[@metaprosperity]

The Swiss chard I planted last year overwintered well and it growing like a jungle this year.

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Last year I bought green 60% shade cloth and grew my broccoli and lettuce under it. It worked great to keep our hot SW Idaho sun off them. I think I’ll plant my carrots under it this year as well.

[@livemypassiongarden.]

Hi Rick , Thank you for the important information about green that still grows in the month of May.

[@sheliaheverin8822]

I planted kale in the fall and it over-wintered and looks great now.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

We do the same. We had a fairly warm April and that cause them to bolt to seed, so the plants are fading fast now, but we will still have some leaves to harvest for the next week or two.

[@emkn1479]

@@StoneyAcresGardening same. Everything went to seed with the bizarre 80 degree weather

[@IndianaBackyardGardener]

Thanks Rick!

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

You're Welcome!!

[@meshab6049]

Here in MI, we had to turn the heat back on yesterday

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Yeah, we were in the same boat a few days ago. I think it was Monday or Tuesday we actually had about 2 inches of snow. It didn't even last till the end of the day, but it was pretty cold for a couple of days. Now we are heading back into the 70s so it's time to harden off the tomatoes!!

[@meshab6049]

​@@StoneyAcresGardeningA friend made a joke and said if the weather continues to stay cold, he was putting the Xmas tree back up. 😂😂

[@williambronson2935]

Beet leaves are basically the same as swiss chard, so maybe plant the beet instead of the chard.

[@livemypassiongarden.]

I have problems , all the garden leaves are turning yellow. I don't know why it is happening pls help give me good advice what to do. Thank you.

[@cynthiafisher9907]

Are you overwatering?

[@BrianM-44041]

They may be over watered or perhaps lacking nitrogen or phosphorous. Magnesium or calcium deficiency could also be a culprit. What kind of plants? Were they from a nursery or did you start from seed? Were they hardened off before planting? Need more info to properly diagnose the problem. My gut says nitrogen is lacking, but don't just throw N at them until you find out what they're lacking. pH test, soil test, or educated deductive reasoning are needed.

[@livemypassiongarden.]

@BrianM-44041 thanks for the information. My plants are cucumbers ,peppers, and small lemon lemon cucumber 🥒 . I grow them from seeds .

[@BrianM-44041]

@@livemypassiongarden. They may not have been hardened off enough before transplant. If you're using ashes and biochar they may be suffering from the nitrogen sequestering by those amendments. If not, I'd add a mild fertilizer and see how it goes for a week or two. Like a 3-1-2 formula or even try kelp , alfalfa, or aloe.

[@r.m.burthom-paranormalwrit3260]

I have a great deal of ants in my garden any suggestions to minimize or eliminate them so they don't chow down on my root vegetables?

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Are you sure they are causing damage? Often ants are just there and don't really cause a lot of garden damage. That's not always the case but often is. A few ideas would be tracking down the nest and flooding it with boiling water. Also DE can be effective against ants.

[@r.m.burthom-paranormalwrit3260]

@@StoneyAcresGardening I'm not positive that it is the ants causing the damage but I had a great deal of holes in my root vegetables 2 years ago so I stopped growing them. I do find when the garden is dry that I have a lot of fire ants. I have to water first in order to go in the garden because my feet get attacked by all the ants. I've not heard of DE before but I will try it.

[@StoneyAcresGardening]

Chasing down that nest will help too.

[@r.m.burthom-paranormalwrit3260]

@@StoneyAcresGardening Thank you :)

[@honeydew4576]

When we have ants in the house (I realize you are talking about your garden, but still this might help), I spray a mix of peppermint oil and water around their entry points into the house and it completely repels them. That way I am able to deter them from coming in without killing them. Perhaps spraying this mixture around the garden would help. I learned from Rusted Garden to use peppermint oil and rosemary oil to deter other pests by scent masking. These scents confuse pests, and repel ants. Hope this helps. It's a softer, gentler way than pouring boiling water on their nest.