As I am typing this, it is snowing in Wrightwood, which is proof of how cold it can still be in April. You can feel free to plant snow peas, broccoli, kales, and even lettuce that require the cooler soil temperatures to germinate and thrive, but hold off on the tomatoes, peppers, basil, and summer flowers for a few more weeks unless you have a greenhouse or a way of protecting them. Most of our High Desert home endures high winds so plant those transplants nice and deep. You can even lay the transplant down in the row and cover it with dirt, just leaving the top of the plant exposed. The transplant will grow with the wind, providing a nice sturdy plant and even producing more roots along the stem that you buried.
At Moonstruck Farms, we have found that holding off on summer planting until mid-May or even June is our best bet. In the past, when we have tried planting earlier, we have succeeded, but the energy it takes for them to struggle through the cold weather that is not “their season” does have a detrimental effect on the plant, and we find our plants are much more robust if we just wait until its nice and warm. We have a gorgeous Fall here, and it provides a robust crop of slicing tomatoes. Our Juliet tomatoes mature much faster than slicing tomatoes, so you will see them at market in July at the latest, along with our summer flowers. The tulips are being grown hydroponically now, and the peonies are budding, so we are hoping to have both and some other later Spring bulb flowers to fill our Mother’s Day bouquets available the week of May 5-10.
The local farmer’s markets are bustling with new farms and vendors and are now on “Summer” set up. Due to its size, the Phelan Certified Farmers Market will continue to be indoors and outdoors at the Phelan Community Center to accommodate the entire market. Plus, it will keep fragile items like fresh farm flowers and baked goods safe from the heat this summer. You can visit the Phelan Farmers Market on Mondays from 2 pm to 6 pm, except for Memorial Day when the market will be closed. The Wrightwood Certified Farmers Market is now open every Friday from 4 pm to 7 pm in the Wrightwood Community Center parking lot and will continue during these summer hours until fall.
