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The Iowa Gardener: Start planting cool-loving plants now
Busiest planting time is right around the corner
It's been a late, cold spring, but there's still plenty of planting to be done now. And with the last average frost date being mid-May in the Cedar Rapids area, the busiest time of planting in the area is just around the corner.
Some plants prefer cooler temperatures, so through the month of April and into the first week of May this year you can:
- Plant directly in the ground easy, fast-growing annuals that like cool weather, including bachelor's buttons, larkspur and California poppy
- Plant bare-root trees, shrubs and rose.
- Plant container-grown trees, shrubs and roses
- Plant seedlings of cool-season flowers, such as pansies and snapdragons
- Plant seedlings of cool-season vegetables, such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage
- Plant seeds of cool-season vegetables, such as lettuces, spinach, greens, radishes and more
- Plant herbs that like cool weather, including parsley and cilantro; You also can plant seedlings of perennial herbs, such as oregano, sage, and thyme outdoors now
- Plant peas from seed when lilac leaves are as big as a mouse’s ear, according to folk wisdom and based in science
- Plant potatoes
- Plant grass seed and lay sod
- Plant seedlings of perennial flowers
- Plant starts of perennial edibles, such as strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries and asparagus
- Divide perennial flowers that bloom in late spring, summer or fall; Don't divide flowers that are going to bloom now or in early spring or they’ll be less likely to survive the stress
- Different seeds germinate at different rates. Some seeds should have been started six or so weeks ago (check the packages) but right now you start seeds indoors of fast-growing annual flowers, if you want to give them a head start. (Otherwise, start them outdoors later directly in the ground.) These include sunflowers, cosmos, nasturtiums, zinnias and hollyhocks.
In mid-May, the soil warms up more and we’re reliably past the last frost (when temperatures get down to 32 degrees). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture that date is on average between May 11 and 20 in the Cedar Rapids area. But before planting the following, starting as early as May 11, check the weather to make sure no freezing temperatures are forecast. Otherwise, the following could be seriously damaged or even killed.
- Continue to plant trees, shrubs as well as perennial edibles, vines, and flowers
- Plant seedlings of warm-season annual flowers, such as marigolds, impatiens, petunias
- Plant seeds directly in the ground of easy, fast-growing annuals that like warmer weather, such as sunflowers, cosmos, nasturtiums, zinnias and hollyhocks
- Plant seedlings of warm-season annual vegetables, such as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant
- You also can plant seedlings of squashes, cucumbers and melons now. (Plant seeds of these a little later, if you choose to go that route. They need warm soil to germinate but are OK to plant as seedlings now since they need less warmth once already started.)
- Plant seedlings of warm-season herbs, such as basil
- Plant summer-flowering tropical-type bulbs and tubers, such as cannas, elephant's ear, gladiolus and tuberous begonias
Wait until June, once the soil has really warmed up, to plant the following or else they’ll just languish or even rot in the cooler soil:
- Plant seeds that need warmer soil, including corn, squash, cucumbers, green beans, and melons
- If necessary, plant grass seed, but it won’t germinate as well as it does in cooler weather; Plant sod instead if possible
- Divide spring-blooming perennials after they are done blooming, but avoid doing so during hot, dry spells
Veronica Lorson Fowler is co-publisher of the Iowa Gardener website at www.theiowagardener.com.
