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Follansbee, Wv

I was in Lowes the other day and noticed a lot of people swarming over the tomatoes and other plants. The local greenhouses aren't open for the season yet, well, most aren't anyway. I think this unbelievably warm, dry weather has lulled people into a false sense of security. I heard several people talking and commenting on how nice the weather was, and how they were going to get an early jump on their gardens. My neighbor has planted everything, corn tomatoes, peppers, etc. Believe it or not, she actually started her corn inside, in peat pots, and transplanted it outside! Have these people forgotten that it's only April? I have potatoes, onions, cabbage, brocolli and peas planted. All are cool weather crops and will take a light to medium frost, even though I will cover them in the event of temps below 35°. My warm weather crops, tomatoes, peppers, corn and such won't see the garden until May 21st. Seven years ago I found myself scrambling to cover 1500 square feet of garden to protect it from a late frost, two nights in a row. The dates were the 20th and 21st of May. That year many gardens were wiped out, and replacements plants were nearly impossible to find so late in the season. Fortunately, I lost nothing, but I learned a valuable lesson. May 21st, or anytime after May 15th, if the weather forcast looks good enough. The weather forcast calls for some snow on Saturday and Sunday. I wonder how many gardens will be destroyed.

4/22/2005 8:16:10 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

The Greenhouses hope for this kind of season...People buy twice the amount they regularly do. Most people just think they cant grow anything and buy some more.

4/22/2005 9:17:06 AM

Midway City, California

It does not matter when you start the summer crop as long as they are not frost bitten. They will sit there and not grow until the night temperature stay's above 55 degrees consistenly

4/22/2005 10:17:38 AM

Montoursville, PA

You are right on target Monty. Friendly gamble issues aside one would be the wiser to wait for the better windows of average success.

My buddy does not come and read here. Last year he had his laugh at my expense. My giant watermellon turned out to be ice box mellons. Somehow the seed got mixed up. This year he has cukes out there above ground right now. What he does not know is the first two or three plants at the row ends are going to grow gourds. He who laughs last laughs best. ]:o}

4/22/2005 1:20:58 PM

Sioux Falls, SD garyboer@dakotalink.com

I've noticed the last couple years, the cuke and tomato plants I put out early were passed up by the ones in 3" pots in the garage window.

Fortunately there's nobody like doc around to turn them into something else. . .

4/22/2005 2:22:31 PM

Sophia WV

Monty here in Sophia everyone is planting.I guarentee you it frosts a couple more times and the plants will die.

4/22/2005 4:09:16 PM

Long Island,New York

It doesn't hurt to have a couple early early plants....its nice to have red-ripe tomatoes in June once in a while

4/22/2005 8:49:36 PM

Follansbee, Wv

"My buddy does not come and read here. Last year he had his laugh at my expense. My giant watermellon turned out to be ice box mellons. Somehow the seed got mixed up. This year he has cukes out there above ground right now. What he does not know is the first two or three plants at the row ends are going to grow gourds. He who laughs last laughs best. ]:o}"--Docgipe

Now that's funny Doc!

I agree Glenn, a couple of plants can be covered, but these people at Lowes were going crazy! I don't know what my neighbor is going to do. She has everything planted. Her garden isn't that big, but I can't help but wonder how her transplanted corn is going like being covered with plastic, and then having an inch of soggy snow dumped on it.

You're exactly right Gary. The reason people protect their pumpkins from the cold is to prevent the stress that could slow the growth. This is the same with other warm weather crops as well. The cold causes stress that slows growth, where the unstressed plants quickly catch up, and often times pass the early starts.

4/23/2005 9:35:39 AM