With warmer weather over the last few weeks, many have been taking the opportunity to get outside and put their green thumbs to work. Washington County Master Gardener Sheila Gerot offers tips to those interested in harvesting a garden this year. She says that in early May you can plant more cold hearty vegetables like lettuce, beets, radishes and cabbage. If you plant produce like peas or tomatoes in hopes of an early summer crop, Gerot notes that Iowa is not considered to be frost free annually until May 15th so you may want to cover or protect those plants in some way from cold temperatures. When it comes to early harvests, she suggests those with asparagus and rhubarb to check their plants now and keep an eye on their garden in the short term because those might be ready to pick now or will be soon.

Beyond produce, Gerot spoke this week about flowering plants and their care this time of year. “Gardens are really pretty right now with tulips and daffodils. Some are starting to fade and where the blooms were we are noticing a seedhead develop. It’s best to remove that so the nourishment can get down into the plant and bulb. Once they are done, leave the leaves there, because they are getting energy from the sun. You can wait until they start to become discolored. With bushes and shrubs, before they get any leaves it’s a good time to see if they are getting to tall or thick and need to be trimmed back. Wait until after they bloom to do this.”

The Washington County Master Gardeners are affiliated with the Iowa State University Extension Office. Information about the group is available at extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener.