May 17, 2025 - Weekly Gardening Guide
Episode Transcript
[Intro with long fade]
Welcome back to The Keep Growing Podcast, your weekly guide to gardening smarter, not harder here in the Mid-Ohio Valley! I’m your host, John Morgan, and we’re diving into Week 21, May 17th to May 23rd, 2025. Spring is buzzing—literally—and we’ve got a packed list of garden tasks, a lunar note, a historical event, and a special heads-up about some noisy visitors in the region. Let’s get growing!
Here’s your garden to-do list for Week 21. Grab your gloves and let’s dig in!
1. Seed Lemon Cucumbers
Start with lemon cucumbers—those crisp, sweet, yellow gems that look like tiny tennis balls. Sow seeds directly in well-drained, sunny soil, about half an inch deep and 12 inches apart. Keep the soil moist but not soggy. If you’re in a cooler zone, start them indoors for transplanting later. These are perfect for salads or pickling, so get planting!
2. Transplant or Seed Basil and Eggplant
Next up, basil and eggplant. Transplant seedlings to the garden if frost risk is gone—check your local forecast to be sure. Space basil 12 inches apart and eggplants 18 to 24 inches. For direct seeding, plant basil a quarter-inch deep and eggplant half an inch. Both crave warm soil and full sun, so choose a sunny spot and mix in compost for a nutrient boost.
3. Install Row Covers for Cabbage and Broccoli
Your cabbage and broccoli are growing strong, but pests like cabbage worms are on the move. Install lightweight row covers to block insects while allowing light and water through. Anchor the edges with stakes or rocks. Check under the covers weekly for any pests.
4. Prune Azaleas, Viburnum, Lilac, and Forsythia
If your azaleas, viburnum, lilac, or forsythia have finished blooming, grab your pruners. These shrubs set next year’s buds soon after flowering, so prune now. Cut back about a third of the oldest branches to promote new growth and shape. Remove dead or crossing branches with clean, sharp tools for healthier plants next spring.
5. Tip Primocane Blackberry Canes
For primocane blackberries, tip the canes at 36 inches tall. Pinch or snip off the top inch or two to encourage branching, which means more fruit next season. This also keeps your patch tidy. Wear gloves to dodge those thorns!
6. Begin Cucumber Beetle Control Measures
Cucumber beetles are stirring, and they’re trouble for cucumbers, melons, and squash. Start control now: set up yellow sticky traps, hand-pick beetles in the early morning when they’re slow, or dust plant bases with diatomaceous earth. If using row covers, ensure they’re sealed tight. These pests spread disease, so stay proactive.
7. Turn Compost
Give your compost pile some attention. Turn it with a pitchfork to aerate and mix materials, speeding up decomposition and preventing odors. Add water if it’s dry or dry leaves if it’s too wet. A healthy compost pile is gold for your garden’s future.
Shifting gears, let’s check the lunar calendar. On Tuesday, May 20th, we hit the Last Quarter Moon, a barren time in traditional gardening. Skip planting or transplanting and focus on maintenance like weeding, pruning, or turning compost. It’s a great moment to tidy up before the next fertile phase.
[Sound Effect: Weather]
After an exciting night with a tornado watch for much of the area, things are going to calm down and cool down today. A return of unsettled weather is expected for the new work week courtesy of a slow-moving disturbance primed to impact the area. The chance for isolated showers and storms returns on Monday and Monday night as a warm front lifts north towards the area, with the best chance for rain being the south. More widespread showers and storms return Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday as low pressure slowly approaches and crosses the region, with a general drying trend expected late Thursday into Friday.
[Fife and Drum Music]
Here’s a fun event to mark on your calendar. On Thursday, May 22nd, head to Gallipolis City Park in Gallipolis, Ohio, for Lafayette Bicentennial Day at Noon. Enjoy a stunning Ohio River view in the historic district while watching a reenactment of General Lafayette’s 1825 arrival, portrayed by Michael Halbert, complete with his original welcome speech from the local newspaper. It’s a perfect blend of history and local charm—cicadas might even provide the soundtrack!
[Sound Effect: Faint cicada buzzing]
Yes. I said cicadas, AKA 17 year locusts, let’s talk about this natural phenomenon that’s making waves in the region—Brood XIV cicadas. These 17-year periodical cicadas are emerging across parts of the region, including areas here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, after spending nearly two decades underground. You might already hear their loud buzzing or spot their black, winged bodies—about 1.6 inches long—in trees and gardens.
Brood XIV is one of the largest cicada broods, stretching from Georgia to Massachusetts, with heavy emergence in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. They start popping up in mid-May and will stick around through late June, especially after a good rain. While they’re harmless to humans and don’t bite, they can stress young trees and shrubs by laying eggs in branches. Protect saplings with fine mesh netting, but don’t worry about mature plants—they’ll be fine.
For gardeners, cicadas are a mixed bag. Their emergence aerates soil, and their decomposing bodies add nutrients, but the noise can be intense! If you’re near Gallipolis City Park for the Lafayette event, expect to possibly hear them in full chorus. Embrace the spectacle—it’s a rare event, last seen in 2008, and won’t return until 2042. (Hopefully, I’ll be retired by then.) Send us your cicada sightings or photos via our Facebook page!
[Sound effect fades]
That’s your Week 21 plan, growers! Recap: seed lemon cucumbers, transplant or seed basil and eggplant, install row covers for cabbage and broccoli, prune spring shrubs, tip blackberry canes, control cucumber beetles, and turn compost. Keep an eye out for Brood XIV cicadas, note the Last Quarter Moon on May 20th, and check out the Lafayette reenactment on May 22nd.
Thanks for tuning in to The Keep Growing Podcast. Share this episode with a fellow gardener or leave a review to help us grow. Got a cicada story or garden tip? Reach out on our website, socials, or email keep growing at bobsmarket.com. Until next week, keep your hands in the dirt and keep growing!
[Outro Music]
Music: The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps - Celebrating 50 Years
Public Domain Mark 1.0: http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
