April showers bring May flowers, and now is the time to know how best to care for them.  Factors like soil moisture are key to ensuring plants grow effectively and thrive all season long.  This is especially true for growing vegetables, as certain ones grow better earlier in the season than others.

Gwen Podeschi and Kathi Knope are Master Gardeners with the University of Illinois Extension.  They say vegetables such as tomatoes and squash are best when their seeds are planted later due to how the weather has played out in the area this season. 

For soil to warm up, temperatures would need to be quite warm much of the season.  Podeschi and Knope say the weather so far has not allowed for that outcome, but the rainfall has been good for the soil. 

The Master Gardeners’ helpdesk is now open.  Community members can bring their questions or samples to the Extension’s Christian County office at 1120 North Webster Street in Taylorville or call (217) 287-7246.

For those would like to grow their own herbs, the Extension is hosting a course called “Herbs in Stackable Pots.”  It’s scheduled for Monday, May 18 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at the Kehias Arboretum at 2152 Illinois Route 16 in Pana.  Registration is available here.

More information on this event and the University of Illinois Extension more broadly is available at extension.illinois.edu.

Kathi Knope and Gwen Podeschi appeared as guests on the WTIM Morning Show.