North Carolina gardeners kick off spring planting amid drought
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Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
If you were considering planting a garden this spring, now's the time to put those plans into action.
Why it matters: Central North Carolina's spring planting season is getting underway in the midst of a months-long drought, though meteorologists believe weather conditions are improving.
Zoom in: Here's what N.C. State Extension recommends doing over the coming weeks:
- Get your vegetable beds ready and add fertilizer to the soil as needed.
- During times of drought, keep an extra watch over weeds, which compete for moisture. Water slowly, and consider installing an irrigation system.
- Plant "cool-season" vegetables, such as lettuces, peas, broccoli, potatoes, garlic and radishes.
What they're saying: Temperatures are warm now, but we likely haven't seen the final bite of frost, history shows.
- The last frost hits Raleigh between March and May, on average April 12, the National Weather Service in Raleigh tells Axios.
- The last freeze is between February and May, on average March 29.
After the last frost, extension agents recommend planting annuals and moving houseplants outside.
- In mid-April or May, plant "warm-season" fruits and veggies, like tomatoes, peppers, melons, okra, beans, basil and eggplant.
State of play: Gardening stores are readying for a rush of business, but there are free places to pick up seeds, too.
- Wake County Public Libraries operates a handful of seed libraries where aspiring green thumbs can pick up packets of vegetable and flower seeds.
- There are similar programs in Durham and Chapel Hill.
The big picture: The area is in a severe drought, and that's affecting topsoil, according to the North Carolina State Climate Office.
- The drought began late last summer, thanks to just a handful of tropical systems bringing rain to North Carolina, and the winter was cold and dry, writes Phil Badgett, the lead National Weather Service forecaster in Raleigh.
By the numbers: Raleigh got 10.2 inches less precipitation than normal from September through January, according to Badgett's analysis. Much of the southeastern U.S. saw similar dryness.
- Conditions began to rebound in February, with 0.23 inches of precipitation more than normal. That's helped stabilize things and helped refill reservoirs like Jordan Lake.
What's next: The federal Climate Prediction Center calls for relatively normal precipitation this month, and above-average rainfall in the summer and fall.
- The National Weather Service forecasts the drought won't last much longer in North Carolina.
Go deeper: Wake County is teaching free classes this spring on composting:
- March 11, 2pm: Holly Springs Community Library
- March 12, 3pm: Morrisville Community Library
- March 20, 10am: Northeast Regional Library
- March 24, 2:30pm: Cary Regional Library
- April 21, 11am: North Regional Library
- May 19, 2:30pm: Eva Perry Regional Library
- May 20, 6:30pm: Virtual