Community Garden: Are you ready for change?

How do you like this weather? This is Oklahoma and you should be ready for a change next week. Hopefully you have turned your garden soil and added the last of your compost.

Now is not the time to be adding manure that is not broken down. Gardening is a year long process and not just for the summer. Rumor has it that the big rodent that saw his shadow may have been wrong. Maybe! But don’t get excited and start sticking plants and seeds in the ground. Patience!

We will see more freezing temperatures and even if we don’t you have to be careful if your garden is in a low-lying area. Those low gardens are very capable of receiving more frost over a longer and a later period than those that are on the side of a hill or on top of a hill. Remember that the plants contain a mechanism in them where they know if it is too early to start growing.

I promise you that if you plant too early you will have plants that will produce later and less than those seeds and plants put in the ground at the proper time. Not to mention the amount of money you have to spend to replace the destroyed plants due to frost and freeze and the time to remove and replace everything. So go get a cup of coffee and leave the seeds and plants alone.

It has been warm so the critters may be waking up in your soil. That is good! Why? Because now you will be able to see them and know what you have so you can pick the proper pesticide to take care of them and when it freezes again it will get them good. Get ready for the babies to come out and start looking for something to eat. They love fresh new gardens!

Rumor has it that human hair spread around a garden will keep deer and other varmints out and that coffee grounds will keep virtually everything out and egg shells on the ground around the garden will keep crawly creatures out of the garden. If it works you should use it. Garlic works real good because of the smell. Plant garlic at the edges of your garden and let it grow. When the first batch is ready to harvest then you should plant again. An on-going crop of garlic is good for your garden.

Make sure you plant flowers for the bees so your plants get pollinated properly. It will make a big difference. Hummingbird feeders are great. They like a little shade and some water. They tend to hide during the day but they are out in the early morning and late afternoon when it starts cooling off and the sun is not so hot. Make sure you wear a bright red shirt when you go out to see if you have hummingbirds. This will allow you to make an accurate count of the bests.