April 19, 2025 Gardening Guide
Episode Transcript
Hey there, plant nerds and green thumbs! Welcome back to the Keep Growing Podcast, your go-to spot for gardening tips, moon-phase planting, and all things growing in the Mid-Ohio Valley. I’m your host, John Morgan, coming to you from Bob’s Market and Greenhouses in Mason, West Virginia. Today, we’re digging into Week 17 of the gardening calendar, straight from our April 2025 Almanac post on bobsmarket.com. Spring is in full bloom, the soil’s warming up, and there’s plenty to do in the garden. So, grab your gloves, maybe a lemonade, and let’s get growing!
[Music Fades]
Alright, folks, it’s April 19th through 25th, 2025, and we’re deep into spring planting season. The Mid-Ohio Valley is buzzing with activity—birds are singing, flowers are popping, and gardeners like us are out there making magic happen. This week’s almanac is packed with tasks to keep your garden thriving, and we’re gonna break it all down. Plus, we’ll lean into some moon-phase wisdom to make sure you’re planting at the optimal times. Let’s dive in!
Week 17 Almanac
First up, let’s talk about what’s going on in the garden this week, based on our April 2025 Almanac post. If you haven’t checked it out yet, head over to bobsmarket.com under the Almanac section—it’s got all the details, courtesy of our friends at WVU Extension and our own growing experience here at Bob’s.
Here’s the rundown for Week 17:
Planting Cool-Season Crops: It’s prime time to get those cool-season veggies in the ground. Think lettuce, spinach, radishes, and peas. These guys love the mild spring temps we’re seeing right now. If you’re in Marietta, Huntington, or anywhere around the Mid-Ohio Valley, your soil should be workable now, so don’t wait too long!
Start Warm-Season Transplants Indoors: If you’re dreaming of tomatoes, peppers, or eggplants, now’s the time to start those seeds indoors. They’ll need about 6–8 weeks before they’re ready to move outside, which lines up perfectly with our last frost date around early May.
Direct-Sow Hardy Annuals: Got some flowerbeds you want to brighten up? Direct-sow hardy annuals like cosmos, zinnias, or marigolds. These are tough enough to handle any late spring chills.
Prune Spring-Flowering Shrubs: If you’ve got forsythia or lilacs that just finished blooming, give them a trim this week. Pruning now helps shape them up and encourages healthy growth for next year.
Moon-Phase Planting: Alright, let’s get a little lunar with it. The moon’s in the last quarter this week, head toward a new moon. That makes this a barren time if you’re using the moon as a guide. That makes it an excellent time to turn compost and work soil.
Now, I know some of you are thinking, “John, does this moon-phase stuff really work?” The idea is that the moon’s gravitational pull affects soil moisture, just like it does the tides. Planting above-ground crops during the waxing moon and root crops during the waning moon? It’s like giving your plants a little cosmic boost. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!
[Music]
Deep Dive: Cool-Season Crops for Week 17
Let’s zoom in on those cool-season crops, since they’re the stars of the show this week. Here in the Mid-Ohio Valley, our spring weather can be a bit of a rollercoaster—sunny one day, chilly the next. That’s why crops like lettuce and spinach are perfect. They thrive in temps between 50 and 70°F, which is exactly what we’re seeing in mid-April.
Here’s how to nail it:
Lettuce: Go for leaf varieties like ‘Black-Seeded Simpson’ or ‘Red Sails’ for quick harvests. Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep, in rows or scatter them for a cut-and-come-again setup. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.
Spinach: ‘Bloomsdale’ is a classic for a reason—crinkly leaves, great flavor. Sow seeds ½ inch deep and thin seedlings to about 4 inches apart. Spinach loves nitrogen, so a little compost or fish emulsion will make it happy.
One thing to watch out for? Slugs. With all the spring rain we’re getting, those slimy critters are out in force. Try setting out shallow dishes of beer to trap them, or sprinkle some diatomaceous earth around your seedlings. It’s like a natural force field for your plants.
[Sound Effect: Light rain falling]
Weather Watch with Bob’s
Speaking of rain, let’s talk weather. According to the National Weather Service, Showers and a few thunderstorms, some strong, will return today with a slow-moving cold front. A warming trend also increases through the weekend. Another system quickly moves into the region later on Monday with a frontal passage on Tuesday morning. This system will keep rain and thunderstorm chances on the table for the area, however high pressure will then build in and likely give us a break through midweek.
You can always swing by our Weather Center on bobsmarket.com for more local updates.
Listener Q&A
Alright, time for my favorite part—answering your questions! You can send us your gardening dilemmas via the contact form on bobsmarket.com or hit us up on social media.
This week’s question comes from Sarah in Parkersburg: “John, I started my tomato seeds indoors last month, but they’re looking leggy. What did I do wrong?”
Great question, Sarah! Leggy seedlings usually mean they’re not getting enough light, so they’re stretching toward the sun. Here’s the fix:
Move them closer to a bright window or under a grow light. Aim for 12–16 hours of light daily.
Keep the light source about 2–4 inches above the seedlings to prevent stretching.
Make sure your room isn’t too warm—tomatoes like it around 70°F during the day.
When you transplant, bury the stem up to the first set of leaves to encourage a stronger root system.
Give those babies some TLC, and they’ll be ready for the garden in no time. Keep us posted, Sarah!
Wrap-Up and What’s Next
Well, folks, that’s a wrap for Week 17. To recap: plant those cool-season crops, start your warm-season seeds indoors, prune your shrubs, and let the moon guide your sowing. It’s a busy week, but there’s nothing more satisfying than watching your garden come to life.
Next episode, we’ll dive into Week 18—Mother’s Day weekend is coming up, and we’ll talk about how to prep your garden for late April. Plus, we’ll share some tips for keeping pests at bay as the weather warms up.
If you’re loving the podcast, drop us a review on your favorite platform—it helps other gardeners find us. And don’t forget to check out the April 2025 Almanac post on bobsmarket.com for the full gardening calendar.
Until next time, keep your hands in the dirt and keep growing!
[Outro Music Fades In]
Copyright 2025 Bob’s Market and Greenhouses.
… {Outtake}
