The gardening season is early this year and everyone is getting antsy about planting their garden. Caution is still advised, say veteran Cook County gardeners.
The last “official” frost date is June 7, more than a month away, and setting tender plants outdoors before then could be disastrous if they’re not protected from frost. Plastic, remay cloth or a cold frame offers that kind of protection.
Planting cool-weather crops like spinach is definitely possible now, said Diane Booth, of Cook County Extension Service, but check the temperature of the soil before planting. Lettuce, beets, peas and spinach seeds will germinate when the soil is 40 degrees, but beans need a soil temperature of at least 60 degrees to germinate. It’s always a good idea to check before planting to be assured of success, she said. Cold crops like broccoli and cauliflower can be transplanted now, too. They might require some protection, but they can withstand light frosts.
Beginning gardeners and/or people who have moved here from points south need to pay attention to their particular micro-climate, too, she said. There are at least three separate growing zones here: close to Lake Superior, the warm plateau area about 1/2 mile from Lake Superior before the Sawtooth Mountain ridges, and over the ridge.
Gardening right next to Lake Superior definitely affects what you can grow, she said. Unless warm-weather crops like peppers and tomatoes are protected from the cold winds off Lake Superior in some way, you probably won’t get a good crop. But, if you live in the plateau just above Lake Superior, you can actually grow corn and tomatoes and melons. There are days when it gets in the 90s. Over the ridge, it gets warm enough to grow warm season crops, but the growing season is slightly shorter. Frosts are later in the spring and earlier in the fall. Gardeners must take this into account when they plan their gardens, she said.
They also need to choose short-season varieties of warm-season vegetables, including winter squashes, to be assured of success, she said. Less than 70-day varieties of corn and tomatoes, and less than 102-day varieties of squash and pumpkins will produce here. Seed catalogs as well as seed packets provide that kind of information. The Extension office also has a booklet of recommended varieties for Cook County.
But what to plant? Here are some ideas from local gardeners about fun things to grow in this year’s garden. Kids love Teddy Bear sunflowers, giant kohlrabi and the big giant German radishes, Booth said. And these grow well in all zones in the county, including close to Lake Superior. Try some lemon cucumbers this year or plant climbing beans around a teepee or the striped chiogga beets. Combining flowers with vegetable gardens is always fun, too, she said. She always plants some cosmos and sweet peas in her gardens for cutting. Colorful plants like the multicolored Swiss chard and the flower kales are beautiful, too.
Karina Roth, who has a garden of her own and also works with the students at Great Expectations School to grow plants for their annual plant sale fundraiser (May 29 this year), says her children love cherry tomatoes and radishes, peas and alpine strawberries. The strawberries bear smaller fruits all summer, she said.
Jeanne Wright and Melinda Spinler, who were transplanting tomatoes into larger pots for the Northwoods Food Project plant sale, agreed that choosing short season varieties is a key to successful gardening in Cook County.
They have their favorites, too. Spinler says she loves to watch winter squash and pumpkins grow. “I love to see them traveling ... and that orange fruit. I just think they’re fun.”
Wright says her garden always has peas and sunflowers, a favorite of her daughter’s. Nasturtiums are also a lot of fun, she said. The peppery flowers are beautiful and edible, and the seed pods can be canned and used as capers.
They both highly recommend growing Bright Lights, a colorful variety of Swiss chard. It’s really delicious to eat steamed, they said, and both their husbands love it cooked with eggs.