Here in Transylvania County spring has a way of keeping us on our toes. Warm afternoons can tempt us into planting early, only for a late frost to roll down from the mountains and remind us who’s really in charge.

As gardeners in a USDA Zone 7a, preparing for that last frost is one of the most important steps we take to set up a successful growing season.

kAmkDEC@?8mr=62? FA[ 3FE 5@?’E DEC:A E96 82C56? 32C6k^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAmt2C=J DAC:?8 😀 2 8C62E E:>6 E@ E:5J E96 82C56? 3FE >@56C2E:@? >2EE6CD] #6>@G6 5625 2??F2=D[ 72==6? 3C2?496D 2?5 @3G:@FD 563C:D E@ C65F46 @G6CH:?E6C:?8 A6DED 2?5 5:D62D6D]k^Am

kAmx7 J@F 2C6 =:<6 FD 2?5 92G6 E96 DEC2H\=:<6 =67E@G6CD @7 =2DE D62D@?’D 4C23 8C2DD[ AF== E92E FA E@@]k^Am

kAm{62G6 D@>6 =627 =:EE6C 2?5 F?5:DEFC365 2C62D F?E:= 4@?D:DE6?E=J H2C>6C H62E96C 2CC:G6D] q6?67:4:2= :?D64ED 2?5 A@==:?2E@CD @7E6? D96=E6C E96C6 2?5 ?665 E:>6 E@ 6>6C86]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!CF?6 H:E9 AFCA@D6k^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAm{2E6 H:?E6C E@ 62C=J DAC:?8 😀 AC:>6 E:>6 7@C ACF?:?8 >2?J EC66D 2?5 D9CF3D[ 3FE E:>:?8 >2EE6CD]k^Am

kAmuCF:E EC66D 2?5 DF>>6C\7=@H6C:?8 D9CF3D 86?6C2==J 36?67:E 7C@> AC6\DAC:?8 ACF?:?8] w@H6G6C[ DAC:?8\7=@H6C:?8 D9CF3D =:<6 2K2=62D 2?5 7@CDJE9:2 D9@F=5 36 ACF?65 27E6C E96J 3=@@>[ @C J@F’== D24C:7:46 E9:D J62C’D 7=@H6CD] (96? 😕 5@F3E[ ACF?6 =:89E=J]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m%6DE 2?5 7665 E96 D@:=k^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAmw62=E9J 82C56?D DE2CE F?56C8C@F?5] q67@C6 A=2?E:?8[ 4964< D@:= >@:DEFC6 3642FD6 H@C<:?8 D@:= E92E 😀 E@@ H6E 42? 42FD6 4@>A24E:@?]k^Am

kAmx7 J@F 92G6?’E E6DE65 J@FC D@:= C646?E=J[ 4@?D:56C 2 32D:4 D@:= E6DE E@ F?56CDE2?5 :ED Aw 2?5 ?FEC:6?E ?665D]k^Am

kAmp55:?8 4@>A@DE ?@H :>AC@G6D D@:= DECF4EFC6[ 3@@DED >:4C@3:2= =:76 2?5 96=AD C6E2:? >@:DEFC6 =2E6C 😕 E96 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm(6 AC676C >FD9C@@> 4@>A@DE 7C@> @?6 @7 E96 =@42= DFAA=:6CD] $2G6 76CE:=:K:?8 F?E:= :E 😀 H2C> 7@C D6G6C2= 6G6?:?8D D@ A=2?ED 42? FAE2<6 E96 ?FEC:6?ED]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!C6A2C6 365D 7@C 5C2:?286 2?5 H2C>E9k^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAm#2:D65 365D 2?5 H6==\567:?65 C@HD H2C> FA 72DE6C 😕 DAC:?8 8:G:?8 J@F 2 9625 DE2CE]k^Am

kAmx7 J@FC 82C56? E6?5D E@ DE2J D@88J[ 86?E=J C6D92A6 365D E@ :>AC@G6 5C2:?286]k^Am

kAms2C< >F=49 @C =2?5D42A6 723C:4 42? 96=A 23D@C3 962E[ C2:D:?8 D@:= E6>A6C2EFC6D 2 76H 568C66D 2?5 DA665:?8 86C>:?2E:@? H9:49 😀 6DA64:2==J 96=A7F= 7@C 62C=J 4C@AD] q6 42C67F= E@ >@?:E@C E96 A=2?ED F?56C 52C< 723C:4 2D :E 42? 3FC? E96>]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8mz?@H J@FC 7C@DE H:?5@Hk^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAm~FC 2G6C286 =2DE 7C@DE 52E6 FDF2==J 72==D 😕 >:5\ E@ =2E6\pAC:=]k^Am

kAmr@=5 D?2AD 42? 2?5 5@ 92AA6? =2E6C[ 6DA64:2==J 😕 E96 G2==6JD] q67@C6 A=2?E:?8 E6?56C 4C@AD[ <66A 2? 6J6 @? E96 6IE6?565 7@C642DE 2?5 36 C625J E@ AC@E64E J@F?8 A=2?ED :7 E6>A6C2EFC6D 5:A 36=@H 7C66K:?8]k^Am

kAm%96C6 😀 2? @=5 H:G6D’ E2=6 E92E J@F D9@F=5 H2:E E@ A=2?E E@>2E@6D 2?5 @E96C DF3\EC@A:42=D 27E6C |@E96C’D s2J 2?5 :E’D 2 CF=6 H6’G6 2=H2JD 7@==@H65 E@ 8C62E DF446DD]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!=2?E 4@=5\92C5J 4C@AD 7:CDEk^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAm(9:=6 E@>2E@6D 2?5 A6AA6CD ?665 E@ H2:E[ A=6?EJ @7 G686E23=6D E9C:G6 😕 4@@= 4@?5:E:@?D] !62D[ DA:?249[ =6EEF46[ <2=6[ C25:D96D[ 42CC@ED[ @?:@? DE2CED 2?5 D665 A@E2E@6D 42? 2== 92?5=6 =:89E 7C@DED 2?5 AC676C 4@@=6C D@:=] v6EE:?8 E96D6 😕 62C=J >2I:>:K6D J@FC DAC:?8 92CG6DE 2?5 7C66D FA DA246 =2E6C]k^Am

kAmw2G6 7C@DE AC@E64E:@? C625J] tG6? 27E6C A=2?E:?8 AC@E64E:@? 😀 <6J] z66A DFAA=:6D @? 92?5 =:<6 7C@DE 4=@E9[ @=5 D966ED[ 3FC=2A[ 3F4<6ED @C 4=@496D] r@G6C A=2?ED 😕 =2E6 27E6C?@@? 367@C6 2 4@=5 ?:89E 2?5 C6>@G6 4@G6C:?8D E96 ?6IE >@C?:?8 @?46 E6>A6C2EFC6D C:D6]k^Am

kAm#6>6>36C E92E 7C@DE AC@E64E:@? H@C E96 D@:=] (6 <:==65 2 76H 3=F636CCJ 3FD96D 3J 7@C86EE:?8 E@ C6>@G6 4@G6C:?8D] $6E 2? 2=2C> 😕 J@FC A9@?6 :7 J@F ?665 2 C6>:?56C]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m$E2CE D665D H:D6=Jk^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAmx7 J@F’C6 DE2CE:?8 D665D :?5@@CD[ ?@H 😀 E96 >@>6?E E@ A=2? J@FC E:>:?8]k^Am

kAm|@DE H2C>\D62D@? 4C@AD D9@F=5 36 DE2CE65 D:I E@ 6:89E H66

kAmw2C56? @77 D665=:?8D 8C25F2==J 3J 6IA@D:?8 E96> E@ @FE5@@C 4@?5:E:@?D @G6C D6G6C2= 52JD C65F4:?8 EC2?DA=2?E D9@4<]k^Am

kAm}@E 6G6CJ@?6 92D E96 DA246 7@C D665 DE2CE:?8 3FE J@F 42? DE:== AFE D@>6 D665D 😕 E96 8C@F?5[ ;FDE 4964< E96 86C>:?2E:@? E6>A6C2EFC6D @? E96 A24<6E] ~C J@F 42? A:4< FA D@>6 ?:46 D665=:?8D 7C@> @?6 @7 E96 =@42==J\@H?65 ?FCD6C:6D]k^Am

kAmkDEC@?8m!2E:6?46 A2JD @77k^DEC@?8m]k^Am

kAm!6C92AD E96 92C56DE A2CE @7 DAC:?8 82C56?:?8 😕 %C2?DJ=G2?:2 r@F?EJ 😀 H2:E:?8]k^Am

kAm~FC >@F?E2:? H62E96C C6H2C5D 82C56?6CD H9@ A=2? 42C67F==J[ AC6A2C6 E9@C@F89=J[ DE2J 7=6I:3=6 2?5 E2<6 72:=FC6D 2D =62C?:?8 =6DD@?D] qJ C6DA64E:?8 E96 =2DE 7C@DE[ ?FCEFC:?8 E96 D@:= 2?5 49@@D:?8 E96 C:89E A=2?ED 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[ H6 D6E @FCD6=G6D FA 7@C 2 AC@5F4E:G6 2?5 C6D:=:6?E 8C@H:?8 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm$AC:?8 H:== 4@>6] $@>6E:>6D :E 4@>6D D=@H=J[ D@>6E:>6D 2== 2E @?46] qFE H96? :E 5@6D[ 2 AC6A2C65 82C56? H:== 36 C625J E@ E9C:G6]k^Am


James Carli is a member of the Brevard Sustainability Council.

Comments are closed.

Pin