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07-06-2003, 07:08 PM

From:
Date: Sat, Jun 7, 2003 1:28 PM
Message-id:

After last years drought, who'd have though that we'd be getting too
much rain this year

My main problem is how can I get any planting done? I've read that
you shouldn't plant if the soil is too wet, but this spring its been
raining at least every other day, and sometimes for days on end. It
may not always rain hard, but its raining often enough and the soil is
just is not drying out. It's been like this the last 6 weeks, and for
at least the next week it looks like the same.

So my question to the ng is..... how can I get my planting in? Should
I be patient, try meditation, and wait until it dries out, or should I
just go ahead and plant when it's not totally sopping wet? I assume
that it will eventually dry out, but that may not happen until we're
into July. It's possible that it will be wet the whole season,
although that would be a rare summer in S.Jersey.

I have some perennials just waiting to move into their new homes, I
haven't done all my vegetable planting, and I'm itching to be outdoors
and working.

I hear ya, oh do I hear ya. I'm in northern NJ. I've taken to going out in
the rain and doing whatever I can. My beds are quite well-drained, so I
haven't had true muddy conditions, but things are certainly limp and unhappy
(with the exception of shrubs, trees, and grass......all of which needed this
respite from several years of drought or near-drought).

The worst problems for me are annuals and tender perennials I grow from seed,
most of which I start outdoors. I've had less germination, more false starts,
and what does get started seems stunted. I have most of the seed beds and pots
shrouded with tarps or fine mesh screening to keep the torrents from washing
everything away (not to mention the chill night air, only recently getting into
the 50's).

I've given up on some things, among them, sadly, my Heavenly Blue morning
glories and moonflowers. I've tried germinating them in every way possible,
but they balk and refuse to get their first true leaves. Most haven't
germinated. (Other varieties of morning glory are coming up for me, so I'll
have some for the hummingbirds; Heavenly Blue is fussier, for me at least.)

As far as planting in the ground, I believe that the warning against planting
in wet soil reflects the cold post-winter kind of wetness that we're not really
experiencing any more. I've planted many things, perennials, woody plants,
annuals this spring and none of them has succumbed. Even some of the stronger
seedlings that I've managed to produce are surviving in the soil. However, as
I mentioned above, very few (aside from some very mature plants) are putting on
much growth and flower production is certainly taking forever to begin for many
species that would be heavily budded out or blooming by now.

Unless you've got a muddy situation, you should really get those perennials in
the ground. If the area is well-drained enough to accommodate good growth in
average weather conditions, you should be ok. Anything borderline that would
do best in gritty, sandy soil (e.g., lavenders, various herbs, etc.) could be
planted out in pockets of extra-amended gritty mix perhaps on a slightly raised
mound which could get them through at least for a while. I think this would be
better than having them sit with cramped roots in nursery pots.

Of course when and if the rains ease up, we have a nasty prediction of
hurricanes ahead later this season. And gosh, I grow so many tall things.....

Best of luck (to all of us!)
Tyra
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