Cool Weather Crops and Supporting Pollinators
March in the Garden
Here in the Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, the ground is just starting to thaw. We are seeing sunny days with melting snow, interspersed with colder days with some snowflakes floating around as if to remind us that the winter isn't completely behind us yet. But here in growing zone 6, there is so much gardening we can start now even though the soil is still a few weeks away from being workable. In fact, this is the perfect time to sow wildflowers, which we did this week!
Read on to learn what else we are doing in the garden this month...
WAIT: Don't Clean Up Your Yard Just Yet!
While the sunny days are tempting, it’s crucial to wait before doing a full yard cleanup. Many pollinators, including bees and butterflies, rely on the plant material you might want to remove. Hollow stems, leaf piles, and even fallen branches serve as important overwintering sites for these important creatures. Early spring is a vulnerable time for them as they begin to emerge from hibernation, so leaving these materials in place is vital to their survival...and all of our survival as we rely on them to pollinate!
So it is essential that you wait until daytime temperatures are consistently in the 50s Fahrenheit before removing all that leaf litter and debris left over by winter rains and snows. By giving your garden a little more time to wake up naturally, you’re ensuring a healthier environment for both your plants, and the pollinators that help your garden and our ecosystem at large.
Pro Tip: If your HOA demands you tidy up, try to leave some areas undisturbed, or place your garden debris in a corner where it can continue to provide shelter and habitat.
Spring Wildflower Planting: A Gift to Pollinators and Our Ecosystem
As spring approaches, it's the perfect time to think about adding some wildflowers to your garden. Planting wildflowers not only adds beauty and color to your landscape but plays a vital role in supporting local wildlife, particularly pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
Wildflowers are a crucial part of healthy ecosystems. They provide essential food and habitat for pollinators, whose populations have been declining due to habitat loss, pesticides, and climate change. By planting a variety of wildflowers and including lots of natives, you create a thriving environment that encourages biodiversity and strengthens the food web.
Pollinators, in turn, are responsible for much of the plant reproduction that helps maintain our food supply. By introducing wildflowers into your garden, you’re not only helping to sustain these hardworking creatures but also contributing to the resilience of the broader environment.
Here are a few tips for getting started:
Choose native wildflowers that are well-suited to your region and soil type. They will grow better, too!
Provide a mix of early, mid, and late-blooming flowers to offer food throughout the growing season.
Minimize pesticide usage to protect pollinators and other beneficial insects.
Put down cardboard, weed barrier, or a tarp over a section of lawn for a few weeks to smother grass. Then plant away!
Want to learn hands-on how easy it is to grow your own patch of wildflowers?
Join us on the farm next month to do just that!
March Gardening in Zone 6 and Above: What to Plant Now
As we welcome March, it's an exciting time to get your hands in the soil, especially in zones 6 and above, where the first signs of spring are starting to show. This month, you can begin sowing hardy cool-season crops like peas, spinach, broccoli, kale, cilantro, and lettuce directly in the ground, as well as starting seeds for later warm-weather transplants, such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. This is also a perfect time to start some root crops! Potatoes, turnips, beets, carrots, and radishes all do great in cooler soil once the ground has thawed for the season.
March is also a great time to sow perennial herbs like chives and thyme indoors to get a jump start on the growing season. For those looking to add some early blooms, consider sowing snapdragons, stock, poppies, and sweet peas, all of which actually require cooler temperatures in order to thrive! With careful attention to the weather and soil conditions, your garden will be off to a great start this spring!
What we are doing in the garden in March:
Broadcast sowing wildflower seed
Smothering grass to add even more wildflowers
Planting potatoes, root crops, and cool-weather flowers
Prepping soil, covering beds, and mulching
Assessing any wet spots
BEGINNING GARDENING SPOTLIGHT: Seed Pops!
Pollinator Seed Pops feature seeds embedded in a nutrient-rich clay mixture and are designed to be planted straight into the ground or a pot.
Just unwrap, plant, and grow! Once planted, the wooden stick also serves as a garden marker. The sweetest and easiest way to start a pollinator garden! Help plant the planet to protect pollinators and support biodiversity.
