Hello everyone, hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having. A bit cold for the time of year, but great to be out working in the garden or fields. If you are ever uncertain about when you should be planting certain crops, check out the United States Department of Agricultres plant hardiness zone map. You can check it out on the USDA website. For those of you that dont know, the USDA hardiness map splits the USA into 10 growing zones. Vermont actually has 3 growing zones, most of the greater stowe area is in zone 4. While some of the higher elevation areas are in zone 3. As the temperatures are generally lower for longer, and the last frost of the year is always later.
That means for the greater stowe area it is the perfect time of year to plant the second round of caulflower, cabbage, celery, and other similar leafy greens. So that they have enought time to grow before the first frost. End of june is also the last call for a lot of plants to be in the ground or they wont produce before the first frost. Tomatoes, bell peppers, and many large berries such as cantaloupe or watermelon (yes there berries) need to be in the ground by the end of the month or they wont have enough time to produce a bountiful harvest. I know my garden has already begun producing my first tomatoes and bell peppers. What about your own garden? Feel free to let me know how its going or if you have any questions you can reach out to me at naturalist@stowelandtrust.org.