Dutch Growers owner offers gardening advice during prolonged winter

With the recent snowfall, hopeful gardeners may be wondering when it’ll be time to get planting.

According to Rick Van Duyvendyk of Dutch Growers, gardening season should be underway by the May long weekend.

“When the thaw comes, it’s going to come quick,” he said, adding people should shovel snow six feet away from their house to prepare.

Van Duyvendyk told CKOM’s Mark Loshack on Monday that when the weather starts to warm up around April 15, the sun will be high enough to melt the snow quickly, and plants can start growing in the ground.

For those preparing their indoor plants like tomatoes and peppers, Van Duyvendyk said those will be in the house a little longer this season. But there are steps that can be taken to make sure they last, like keeping plants in bright light, and having a fan nearby to provide a small breeze. He notes it will make the stems stronger and not stretch as much.

When it’s time to get those tomato plants in the ground, Van Duyvendyk said there are steps that can be taken to prolong the season, such as putting crop cover on the ground or hot caps around tomato plants — both of which warm up the soil quicker.

This year is not looking good for evergreens, he added. Wrapping those trees with burlap is more critical now than it is in the winter.

“If you haven’t done it, now is a good time to do it,” he said, noting it’s important to use a burlap that’s meant for wrapping and that has a looser-knit material, allowing air to go through and act like a sunscreen.