Getting Out Into Our a Garden State Garden

Kids in the garden from the 2016 White House Garden

Has there been enough warm weather and green shoots to get you out in the garden?

April is a lot of clean up for me, along with turning over the soil, planting seeds, moving plants, adding new plants, and planning my vegetable garden.

Henry Rangkuti wrote me back when it was cold and said that he stumbled upon an article on the site about vegetable gardening. 

Henry passed along two recommended links: motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/10-best-garden-crops-for-beginners and on his own site gardeningjourney.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners/.

Of course, we love our Garden State and many people plant flowers and ornamentals. And we love our Jersey tomatoes and backyard vegetable gardens too.

I keep my own gardening calendar records every year where I record the appearances, blooms and harvest times. They do vary year to year, but most years I can see a pattern for that year. Perhaps it is a warm spring or mild winter and we are a week ahead of last year. I record frosts and freezes.

The Old Farmer's Almanac and other sites online will give you the aggregated planting calendar dates. You can check your local microclimate at almanac.com/gardening/planting-calendar/NJ - but don't be too surprised if we still get a snowstorm or freeze or frost that doesn't agree with years past. 

This month is a good time to be planting lettuce and other salad greens outside. It's the time to have our tomato seeds sprout inside, but we need to wait for May to move them into the garden.

We are the Garden State and not the farming state, but New Jersey is still home to more than 9,071 farms covering 715,057 acres of farmland. The state is among the leaders in many forms of agricultural production.  For example, New Jersey ranks: 5th in blueberry production, 3rd in cranberry production, 3rd in spinach, 3rd in bell peppers, 4th in peach production.  The state also produces an abundance of tomatoes, corn, apples, strawberries, potatoes, hay, soybeans and nursery stock.

New Jersey promotes its outstanding agricultural industry through its Jersey Fresh campaign. Jersey Fresh fruits and vegetables must pass a grading program to ensure they are the highest quality.

The Delaware Bay Looks Reddish - Don't Panic

If this week you see portions of the Delaware Bay, Stow Creek and Mad Horse Creek looking reddish in color, don't panic. It is not pollution, red tide or anything dangerous to wildlife, fish or people.

Two dye applications will be made in the upper bay in Salem County starting near early morning high tides the week of April 9 and continuing until late evening.

This dye release is a way to measure water flow and dispersion in waters used for shellfish harvesting. The dye used in the study is not harmful to people or the environment and is used commonly in water-quality and dispersion tests.

Information collected during this study will be used to evaluate potential water quality improvements that would result in a water classification upgrade.

The dye will be pumped into the bay from a point on land near Stow Creek. The extent of discoloration could be fairly widespread but will disperse.

The study is known as a hydrographic dye dilution study and is conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to aid in the classification of shellfish harvesting waters. Stormwater runoff from uplands and wetlands inhabited by wildlife affects the quality of water in the bay.

The DEP’s Bureau of Shellfisheries and Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring manage and protect more than 720,000 acres of estuarine and ocean beds used to raise clams, oysters and mussels for public consumption. The DEP works closely with the FDA and New Jersey Department of Health to ensure the safety of shellfish brought to market.


For more information on the DEP’s Bureau of Shellfisheries: nj.gov/dep/fgw/shelhome.htm

For more information on the DEP’s Bureau of Marine Water Monitoring: nj.gov/dep/bmw/

Source: nj.gov/dep/newsrel/2018/18_0025.htm

Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park

The Essex County Cherry Blossom Festival at Branch Brook Park is a springtime tradition - even if the weather seems to indicate otherwise some days in April.

The more than 5,000 cherry trees that produce beautiful blossoms this time of year is a great place to visit. There are events that take place during the Cherry Blossom Festival and here are some starting this weekend.

Cherry Blossom Challenge Bike Race
Saturday, April 7th
7am – 1pm
Oval, Northern Division
Race through the Park in the Cherry Blossom Challenge! Various races will occur throughout the morning. Come cheer on the cyclists while enjoying a day in the park. Free to enter the Park and watch!

Cherry Blossom 10K Run
Sunday, April 8th
10am – 12pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division
Race through the historic cherry tree groves in this 10K race! The top three finishers in each age category will receive a commemorative fleece jacket. A portion of the race proceeds benefit the Special Olympics. Same day registration begins at 8am. Advanced registration is recommended. Race starts at 10am. Disabled Run starts at 10:10am. Free to enter the Park and watch!

1-Mile Fun Run/Walk
Saturday, April 14th
10am – 11am
Concert Grove, Southern Division
Join your family and classmates in the One-Mile Fun Run, part of our 42nd annual Cherry Blossom Festival. Children can enter individually on race day. All participants will receive a commemorative t-shirt and an award at the completion of the race.

Essex County Family Day
Saturday, April 14th
11am – 3pm
Concert Grove, Southern Division

Bloomfest
Sunday, April 15th
11am – 5pm
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division and Concert Grove, Southern Division
Enjoy a family day in New Jersey’s pinkest park! A packed schedule of events includes Japanese cultural demonstrations, children's activities, live music, a crafter's marketplace, food and more!

Cherry Blossom Bus Tours
Wednesday, April 18 – Sunday, April 22
Several tours each day
Cherry Blossom Welcome Center, Extension Division

Learn more at the Essex County Parks website essexcountyparks.org

The Shad Are Migrating Up the Delaware River

American Shad - Photo:by Duane Raver, USFWS

Another sign from nature that spring is here is the annual American shad migration up the Delaware River to spawn.

The timing and the number of shad migrating does vary year to year depending on water temperature and conditions. Anglers need accurate, up-to-date information on the "shad run" and there are several NJ resources for that.

• Lewis Fishery Reports done by Steve Meserve of the Fishery in Lambertville offers an email update. Sign up at LewisFishery@comcast.net to be added to his list.
• The Delaware River Shad Fishermen's Association offers updates at 610-954-0577 or 610-954-0578 for the latest updates.
• Woo's Shad Fishing Reports reports shad activity.