NJ gardeners getting an early jump on planting

Traditionally the "safe" date for planting young seedlings in the Garden State for most areas is May 15, or Mother's Day. This year it falls on the 14th, so it'll be the prime time to get your vegetables and flowers in the ground.

If you're short on space and you can put some vegetables and most flowers in pots. The bigger pots are a great way to plant tomatoes, pepper plants and herbs.

The soil tends to warm up quicker in pots and if you have to move them under cover when a frost is predicted. If you're looking for some more difficult plants to find, getting to the garden center early pays off.

Come Mother's Day, most of New Jersey's garden centers will be mobbed and sometimes run out of certain plants. The next 10 days are predicted to be seasonably cool, but nighttime temperatures not getting below 40 degrees, so it's a fairly safe bet to get the plants in early, especially in pots.

I can usually get half a dozen tomato plants and lots of herbs on the patio.

Yeah, it's hokey, but it was a gift from my daughter.

There is nothing like fresh herbs like oregano, rosemary, thyme, mint and tarragon.

I try to grow enough basil to make pesto all summer long.

Italian flat-leaf parsley.

Some patio tomato plants need a large enough pot to sustain them all summer.

You can usually plant a few hot pepper plants in one pot. There's jalapeno and cayenne.

Some varieties of patio tomatoes can get squeezed into one planter.

This variety can be planted in one pot.

There are varieties of cherry tomatoes that grow well in hanging baskets. (Tumbling Toms)

This hanging strawberry plant came back from last year.

The kids love reaching up and grabbing a few cherry tomatoes and eating them right off the plant.

Plastic owls work well to keep the birds and critters from eating your stuff!

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy only.

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