What to do this week

While it is still too early to safely plant cold-sensitive plants outside (like tomatoes!), some hardier plants can be planted now. If you have a warm exposure or are planting in containers where the soil warms quickly, peppers can start to be planted outside. 

For plants that you have started inside from seed, you will need to harden these off in a protected location outdoors preferably for at least a week or two before planting in the ground. Start with a shaded area if possible and slowly acclimate the plants to receive more and more sun. Tomatoes can be hardened off but should be brought inside if night temperatures get too cold (40s or low 50s). Basil is even more cold sensitive than tomatoes.

Go ahead and plant:

broccoli and cauliflower

cabbages 

carrots and beets (seeds or seedlings)

lettuce and other greens

hardy herbs - parsley, cilantro, dill, rosemary, lavendar

cane fruit

rhubarb (from rhizomes)

WAIT to plant:

tomatoes

tomatillos

summer and winter squash

basil

beans

melons

cucumbers

sweet potato

Seedlings that have been started indoors need to spend some time outdoors to acclimate, or 'harden off' before planting. As the days grow warmer, seedlings can be set outside in their pots in a sheltered area - at first keep them in partial or full shade. Once they have spent at least a few days if not a week or so in shade, they can be moved into a sunnier location. Bring them inside at night if it is too cold, especially for peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, and basil. 

Be sure to water seedlings regularly and monitor their condition, as they will dry out much faster outdoors than inside. 

Flowers play an important role in the vegetable garden, attracting both pollinator insects and beneficial insects that will attack garden pests. Interspersing a variety of flowers with your vegetables will help to keep your plants healthy and productive. 

Some flowers are more useful than others in attracting pollinators. Be wary of flowers that have extra petals or unusual flower shapes, as these may have been specially bred to attract humans but are not as interesting for insects. You can also allow herbs to flower, such as fennel, dill, and cilantro.

Good flowers for the garden:

mountain mint

monarda (bee balm)

zinnia

sunflower

cosmos

coneflower

milkweed

goldenrod

blanket flower (gaillardia)

salvia

agastache