The Promise of Spring

Plus, spring weather predictions, March facts & folklore, vegetable planting, and more!

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Thank you, Shawna L. Christensen, for this week's cover image of the Utah mountains It’s hard to believe, but March is upon us!   In March, time springs forward, and we welcome a new season. After a long, cold winter, this is reason enough to celebrate.   Days will continue to lengthen, and evenings that were once cloaked in early darkness are suddenly brighter and more welcoming.   The ground begins to thaw, and the world comes out of its frozen dormancy. New buds and shoots appear. Perhaps there’s even the first hint of color from daffodils, tulips, crocuses, or another early spring bloomer.   All around, there’s the promise of resiliency and new beginnings. Birds return with their delightful song. (Remember to fill the feeder!) The Sun begins to peek out a bit more often. Everywhere you look, there’s life and energy.   This is what the approach of spring is really all about: promise. Not just of longer days and warmer weather, but also of the certainty that as things change, they will also stay exactly the same. On this, we can all depend.   You can also always depend on The Old Farmer’s Almanac to be ready with a weather forecast! Check out our Spring 2021 weather predictions.   Have you ever wondered how the months got their names? For example, March was named for the Roman god of war, Mars, as this was once the time to resume military campaigns that had had to be halted for winter.   On March 3, be sure to celebrate What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day. (Frankly, we’re not sure exactly how you would celebrate it, but ….) This is just one of the holidays, folklore traditions, and fascinating facts that March brings every year.   Be sure to check our Frost Date Calculator and 2021 Vegetable Planting Calendar before putting anything into the ground. If you’re itching to get growing on this year’s garden but still have a few weeks yet before you can reliably plant, consider starting seeds indoors.   Finally, as we might have mentioned a time or two recently, gardening success is greatly increased with a little time spent in planning. In addition to our Garden Planner app, you can use our Growing Guides to learn everything that you need to know about planting, growing, and caring for the most popular vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, bulbs, shrubs, and houseplants! As sure as the Sun will rise and set each day, The Old Farmer’s Almanac is here for you, now and always.   Your Friends from The Old Farmer’s Almanac In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8: “A feminist is a person who believes in the power of women just as much as they believe in the power of anyone else. It’s equality, it’s fairness, and I think it’s a great thing to be a part of.” –Zendaya (b. 1996), American actress and singer FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @THEOLDFARMERSALMANAC March’s birth flower is the daffodil. No surprise! These cheerful flowers are a harbinger of spring! Click here to learn more about the daffodil’s flower meaning and symbolism. WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS WEEK AWAITING THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING CHECKING OUT THE ALMANAC'S SPRING FORECAST STARTING SEEDS INDOORS CONSULTING THE VEGETABLE PLANTING CALENDAR Visit Almanac.com Shop Our Store New to this newsletter? It’s free! Sign up here. You received this email because you signed for updates from The Old Farmer's Almanac. If you do not wish to receive our regular e-mail newsletter in the future, please click here to manage preferences. *Please do not reply to this e-mail* © 2021 Yankee Publishing Inc. An Employee-Owned Company 1121 Main Street | P.O. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444 Contact Us View web version

Soil, Water, Sun - Getting it Right

Not too little, not too much. Your garden needs just the right amount of three things if it’s going to grow.

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Having trouble viewing this email? View this email on the web. Soil, Water, and Sun: What Your Garden Does (and Doesn’t) Need Not too little, not too much. Your garden needs just the right amount of three things if it’s going to grow, and you can get all the details with your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club. Dear Garden Enthusiast, Gardening is just another day at the plant … badda-BING! Humor, it is said, often contains a grain of truth. And it is true that gardening can feel like a day on the best job ever. Especially when the payoff is month after month of the freshest produce available. From peas to potatoes to peppers, a well-planned garden offers a bounty of colorful, tasty rewards for your work.  Before you start grilling those eggplants, though, ya gotta get dirty. More precisely, you have to work your soil. Soil pH, together with soil chemistry and structure, will greatly affect the health and vigor of your plants. For most herbs and vegetables, the ideal soil pH (a measure of acidity or alkalinity) is 6.0–6.5.  To figure out the pH of your garden soil, you can either get your soil tested or do it yourself with a soil-testing kit from your local plant center. We prefer professional testing since you get not just thorough results, but also specific recommendations for correcting your soil pH. If you do need to adjust the pH in your soil, it’s usually just a matter of adding peat, lime, sulfur, or other organic material that will raise or lower the pH.  One easy, and potentially free, way to raise the pH of your soil is to add wood ashes. If you’ve been burning wood and saving the ashes over the winter, you have a valuable source of nutrients for your plants. Wood ashes contain calcium, potassium, and a variety of trace elements. Because they’re water-soluble, wood ashes can change the soil pH and supply those nutrients rapidly. Just mix them into the soil before planting. A word to the wise, though: Don’t apply wood ashes around acid-loving plants like blueberries, rhododendrons, azaleas, and hollies.  This is just a small sampling of the gardening tips and expertise that you can read throughout The Old Farmer’s Almanac and our digital magazine, The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA!, all as part of your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club. Celebrate your Love of Gardening with The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership—save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! Did You Know? You may be watering your garden too much. It can be challenging to get that perfect mix of sunlight and water to help our gardens grow. Many of us are guilty of not watering our gardens enough, which is OK for vegetables that need very little. But others need more.  With beets and carrots, for instance, it’s critical to water before the soil gets bone-dry. For a 5-foot row, they’ll need 1 gallon of water at the early stage, then 2 gallons every 2 weeks. Broccoli is similar; don’t let the soil dry out for 4 weeks after transplanting—then they need 1 to 1-1/2 gallons of water each week.  Of course, on the other end of the spectrum, we have tomatoes that need water twice a week.  Summer squashes may be the surprise, though. They’re so juicy that you’d think they would want water almost every day. Not so. But to discover how much water they need, you’ll have to look in The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Where can you get one of those? Why, with your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club, of course! You can also find out what to plant in the perfect beginner’s vegetable garden and when to fertilize nearly two dozen popular garden vegetables, as well as get more than a few recipe ideas for all of your summer produce.  "I’ve Got Sunshine … on a Cloudy Day" If you grow it for the fruit or the root, you need full sun. If you grow it for the leaves, partial shade is all you need.  You can’t have a garden without sunlight. Most vegetables and herbs need about 8 hours of sunlight each day to thrive. But shade-tolerant leafy greens and some herbs like a little shade.  For those plants that do need sunshine, though, you’ll need to choose your garden site carefully. Ideally, situate your garden in an area that gets 8 hours of sunlight daily, with a southern exposure. Plant your tallest plants on the north end so that they don’t cast shade on smaller plants to their south.  How much sunlight does your mint need? Is it too early to plant peas? Find out all this and more, with your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club. Celebrate your Love of Gardening with The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership—save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! If you want more gardening tips and much more useful information, wit, and wisdom, you can get it in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club! With your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club, you get everything you need to be ready for any season including the classic edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening for Everyone, our Gardening Wall Calendar, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA!, our monthly digital magazine that includes articles on weather, gardening, and other content not found in the print edition. It’s a great way to keep up-to-date on Almanacky topics throughout the year. With your membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club, you’ll learn more about:   How to keep your houseplants healthy throughout the winter The latest gardening technology How to plan and plant the perfect fruit or vegetable garden Container gardening and how it can work no matter how little space you have Planting by the Moon’s phase, including both the planting dates and the Moon Favorable dates for more than 50 common vegetables Celebrate your Love of Gardening with The Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership—save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! Tap into the deep well of resources at The Old Farmer’s Almanac for a bountiful harvest of gardening tips and tools—with a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club! Announcing The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club! This new and exciting club is designed especially for you—with just the inspiration and information you need for all your gardening projects! We’ve put together essential Old Farmer’s Almanac resources to celebrate your love of gardening and give you tons of tips for making your next gardening project as lush and lovely as it can be. And it all starts, of course, with The Old Farmer’s Almanac. You’ll be prepared for any gardening project. Whether you garden for food, for flowers, or just for fun, a Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club will keep you entertained, informed, and inspired all year long! Since 1792, The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been a traditional resource for dedicated farmers, avid and casual gardeners, folks who like to get a long view on upcoming weather trends, and people who love to collect little snippets of country wit and wisdom that they can share with family and friends.  We’re not just the oldest published almanac, but the oldest continuously published periodical in North America— and we’ve been around longer than any newspaper or magazine, too. Get your Charter Membership in The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club today—with resources to inspire you in the garden. From time-honored country gardening tips to modern garden gadgets, come share in the bountiful harvest! With your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership, you get everything you need to keep your garden at its greenest:   2021 Gardening Wall Calendar: Our perennial best-seller for over 40 years! Rich illustrations accompany useful gardening tips on everything from planting to enjoying your garden. The 2021 special softcover, hangable edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac, loaded with the tips, trivia, and insights that make it a family favorite. Gardening for Everyone— Brand NEW from Old Farmer’s Almanac and only available to Club Members, this beautiful print edition covers the best of Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guides. Grow food and herbs you love, surround yourself with spectacular flowers, and get tips on the latest gardening tech! Instant Unlimited Access to our new Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide Online Library—you’ll find seven years of Garden Guides packed with no-nonsense tips, tricks, and shortcuts to make your garden a jewel in the neighborhood or out in the country. Cooking Fresh—make the most of your garden's bounty with our digital cookbook. You'll find more than 160 recipes using fresh fruits, berries, herbs, spices, and vegetables! The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! Our monthly digital magazine includes articles on gardening, food and other content not found in the print edition. It’s a great way to keep up-to-date on Almanacky topics throughout the year. Bonus: Not only will you get a new Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! each month—you get free access to every issue of EXTRA! in our digital library. That’s more than 40 issues of great gardening tips, delicious recipes, and more! Bonus: 2021 Engagement Calendar Bonus: Garden Guide Celebrate your Love of Gardening with the Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership— save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! An Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership will deliver exciting rewards for you—and at a special introductory rate, right now, for all new Charter Members. When you join today, you’ll ensure that you are planting the seeds of success for your garden when you tap into the time-honored wisdom of The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Enjoy all these benefits as an Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Member:   Your best garden ever—Almanac gardening advice, planting dates, timesaving tips, and detailed guidance from experts will get you growing like never before. You’ll know in advance about every important astronomical event in 2021—and how the phase of the Moon can influence the success of your garden. You’ll save time and money when you follow all of the practical advice and tips that we deliver to you about everything from gardening to food preparation and cooking. You’ll be the first to know about top tips, tricks, and shortcuts for taking your garden from good to great. You’ll learn more about gardening gadgets and gear that can make your work in the garden even more enjoyable. You’ll discover new approaches to planting—for color, for purpose, for stress relief. Whether you’re a beginning gardener or a skilled green thumb, you’ll find do-it-yourself projects to fit your schedule—and your garden. How can you not consider becoming an Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Member? What You’ll Get With an Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership There’s so much gardening knowledge to gain as a Charter Member of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club: In the convenient, hangable, softcover edition of the 2021 Almanac, you’ll find a bumper crop of gardening tips. Many gardeners consider the Almanac their most valuable tool, so this year, for all of you trying to grow food, we’ve got foolproof advice that promises a harvest the first year and every one thereafter. Perhaps you grow flowers—or want to: In the 2021 Almanac, you’ll learn all about growing flowers, when to pick them, and how to use them (e.g., last year, we told members to pick apple blossoms in late spring and sprinkle them onto a Waldorf salad and use impatiens all summer long as a garnish). But that’s not all. Here’s a taste of other tips you’ll find in the 2021 Almanac: Best days for planting, pruning, weeding, grafting, and controlling pests Daily weather forecasts for all regions of the United States, including Alaska and Hawaii Fresh new ways to savor vegetables from your garden Easy, delicious, Almanac prize-winning recipes (and an opportunity to share your own!) Each month, you’ll get new articles and original content with our digital magazine, The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! It’s a treasure trove of Almanac information that you won’t find in the printed edition, including audio and video content. EXTRA! leads you to some interactive fun when you’re ready for a change of pace. Celebrate your Love of Gardening with the Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership— save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! It’s never too early to plan next season’s garden, so enjoy the rich illustrations in our Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Calendar. This compact calendar is the perfect size to fit on the wall in your kitchen, den, or potting shed. Each month features rich, full-color illustrations along with tips, history, or background information on the artwork.  Here are just a few of the types of tips you can find in our 2021 Gardening Calendar: Reinvigorate your houseplants by removing the top 1/4 inch of soil and top-dressing with fresh potting soil. Use an old salt shaker for sowing tiny seeds. Mix the seeds with sand for better spreading. Plants with a strong citrus fragrance will help to keep pesky bugs at bay. Try planting lemon-scented geraniums, lemon thyme, or lemon balm. Lettuce shaded naturally or by shade cloth will encourage the growth of a tender, sweet crop all summer. To attract dragonflies, create a water feature. Choose a spot in partial to full sun and plant a few native plants along the edges for wind protection. Remove the lower leaves of brussels sprouts to expose the buds along the stem. Harvest from the bottom up. Fill bird feeders to attract chickadees, nuthatches, and juncos—they will not only brighten the landscape but also clean up insect larvae and eggs on trees and shrubs. You’ll love the advice, folklore, and gardening secrets in our 2021 Gardening Wall Calendar! As you count the days until your next planting or your next harvest, peruse the pages of Gardening for Everyone for tips on how to grow better, naturally! Gardening for Everyone is available exclusively to Old Farmer’s Almanac Club members. From the practical to the ornamental, plan your prolific garden and learn how to:   Plant edibles indoors and out, no matter how small your space is. Create a serene and leafy oasis—and why you should. Make a living herb wreath—a kitchen garden in the round. Grow blooms that beautify your surroundings and make breathtaking bouquets. Serve up your harvest in style with recipes that will let you savor the flavor of homegrown food. And all of this is available to you—right now—when you claim your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership. Celebrate your Love of Gardening with the Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership— save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! What are you waiting for? Become a Charter Member of The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club today! No other Almanac has so many fun and fascinating facts, timely and accurate events and predictions, and topical and useful articles all in one place for your easy access and use—and covering more regions of North America than any other almanac or resource! Add The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA!, The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Calendar, The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide Online Library, Gardening for Everyone, The Old Farmer's Almanac Engagement Calendar, and The Old Farmer's Almanac Garden Guide, and your garden will be the prolific pride of the neighborhood! Why Not Join Right Now? Gardeners everywhere have been using The Old Farmer’s Almanac for years to guide their gardening plans, and now The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership offers you all things gardening in one place! Charter Offer for You—Join Today! SAVE 43%—Plus get two bonuses! When you respond today, you’ll be among a select group of Almanac friends to take advantage of this special Gardening Club Charter Membership offer.  With your Charter Membership, you’ll receive  The Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Calendar, The 2021 Old Farmer’s Almanac, Gardening for Everyone, access to The Old Farmer’s Almanac Garden Guide Online Library with seven years of Garden Guides, Cooking Fresh, and a subscription to our monthly digital magazine, The Old Farmer’s Almanac EXTRA! PLUS, enjoy The Old Farmer's Almanac Engagement Calendar and Garden Guide as Bonuses! Plant the seeds of success for your garden today—with this incredible deal!   This is a limited-time offer, so take advantage of it right now! When we first created the Gardening Club, we wanted to make it easy to use, easy to order, and packed with valuable gardening content that you could put to use right away. Be the best gardener you can be with your Old Farmer’s Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership.   Sincerely,   Janice Stillman Editor The Old Farmer’s Almanac P.S. Remember researchers have found that spending time in nature strengthens a person’s immune system, reduces stress hormones, and lowers blood pressure. Furthermore, it may improve learning and increase empathy. Celebrate your Love of Gardening with the Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening club! Save 43% with your Gardening Club Charter Membership! Claim your Old Farmer's Almanac Gardening Club Charter Membership— save 43% today! Yes! Sign me up now! We reserve the right to substitute items based on availability. Visit Almanac.com Shop Our Store New to this newsletter? It’s free! Sign up here. You received this email because you signed for updates from The Old Farmer's Almanac. If you do not wish to receive our regular e-mail newsletter in the future, please click here to manage preferences. *Please do not reply to this e-mail* © 2021 Yankee Publishing Inc. An Employee-Owned Company 1121 Main Street | P.O. Box 520 | Dublin, NH 03444 Contact Us View web version