Is the cold weather changing your Seed Starting schedule?

[PaulF]

Originally Posted by Tormato

Only one plant on the trellis must mean grape not hardy kiwi?

Each end of the structure has a ten year old grape. They provide shade in the summer but the birds eat the grapes early on. More for looks than food.

[taboule]

Originally Posted by Tormato

... For tomatoes, I start only a few in about a month, the bulk in 2 months (about May 1st). That's when I need good weather, as I start tomatoes (the day of their germination) outside.

This is what I'll be doing for tomatoes to work around the timing of my trip (gone mid-april to may 10) although it might be getting late. But I'll play the numbers game, start the bigger varieties early, and the smaller ones later in may -they'll catch up.

[pecker88]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

All over the state , air temps are running 20 degrees below normal and there's a snowpack of 2 feet on the eastern side where the blizzard hit hard. Soil temp is 31F at 4 inches.
Tomatoes and peppers are hopefully going in on time, but what about Spinach , lettuce, cabbage and the rest of the cole crops ? What will be the time delay in soil temps catching up to warmer air temps? What is the adjustment for this?
The ground will be mucky too. No complaining after 7 years of drought though.

I'm afraid that I'm going to miss pea season, darn darn darn!

- Lisa

Funny you ask, I was wondering the same thing.

I usually plant pepper seeds on 1 March, tomatoes on 15 March. Based on the 12" of snow across the entire back yard and the colder temps 100 miles North of here where most of the plants will go, I delayed 1 week.

I usually move everything to the greenhouse around 1st week of April, but that's when I run the propane heater out there. I can't image the cost of propane this year when night time lows are STILL hovering around 0. The heat would run non-stop, we just had the 1000 gal propane tank filled and it's already at 45%....

To add insult to injury, didn't the groundhog predict an early spring??

[greenthumbomaha]

As you can see from my photo above, I am jumping in now. I agree with PaulF in that come May this snow better be in my rear view mirror! This is my usual time, but it is early for the area. The official recommendation from UNL is March 30 start with a May 15 plant out. If we have a decent string of weather in early May, I push it and take the chance of frost. 100 miles north of here when is that plant date?
Nighttime temps are still frigid, but the days are getting longer so things should warm up your greenhouse a tad at least. It's really nice to have options, even delayed.


It's the cole crops and greens that have be baffled. I was unsure when to start cabbage and broccoli with the snow cover. I put the seeds in to soak last night. I have spinach started and I was thinking of some shallow tubs with miracle grow in about a week. I'm holding off on lettuce and may just seed in-ground this year and choose summer heat as my battle this year.


- Lisa


I started another small tomato tray yesterday. About half the tomatoes in the photo have popped up, and the restarted peppers are mainly up too. Everything is growing very fast. Perhaps the snow is reflecting the sun through the window.

[pecker88]

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

As you can see from my photo above, I am jumping in now. I agree with PaulF in that come May this snow better be in my rear view mirror! This is my usual time, but it is early for the area. The official recommendation from UNL is March 30 start with a May 15 plant out. If we have a decent string of weather in early May, I push it and take the chance of frost. 100 miles north of here when is that plant date?
Nighttime temps are still frigid, but the days are getting longer so things should warm up your greenhouse a tad at least. It's really nice to have options, even delayed.


It's the cole crops and greens that have be baffled. I was unsure when to start cabbage and broccoli with the snow cover. I put the seeds in to soak last night. I have spinach started and I was thinking of some shallow tubs with miracle grow in about a week. I'm holding off on lettuce and may just seed in-ground this year and choose summer heat as my battle this year.


- Lisa


I started another small tomato tray yesterday. About half the tomatoes in the photo have popped up, and the restarted peppers are mainly up too. Everything is growing very fast. Perhaps the snow is reflecting the sun through the window.

100miles North, Norfolk area, plant out is late May. In Lincoln I usually plant a few toms. out on May 1st. About 50% of the time they make it. Safe date for me is mothers day.

Regardless, with another 3" last night, I'm staring at the 15" of snow across the entire yard, "tunnels" along sidewalk, huge icicles hanging off the house, ect... I don't see anything but late planting this year.

[clkeiper]

not really, but it has curtailed my starting up the next greenhouse. I hate heating on bitter cold nights. today I will start it. it has been close to the single digits for the last several nights. I really need to open it and start the heater no mater the temps now. I am out of space in the little greenhouse. it is jammed full. every bench and spot.. floor on top of lights or stacked on top of domes... anything to get light to all of them.

[PaulF]

And to add insult to injury, our "less than one inch of new snow" turned into another three inches last night. Maybe all that snow is insulating the gardens and pulling extra nitrogen out of the air to help fertilize the soil so when we do get into the gardens things will grow better than ever before.

[Gardeneer]

While the Northerners are in the colr, down south the weather i improving, That is where I am, sw NC.
As i look at my 15 days forecast, the night lows are staying at 40f and higher and day highs around 65f. That is good enough for tomatoles but not peppers.
But we are not out of the woods yet. Statistically, we have chances of frost for the next 3-4 weeks .

One thing is certain though, SPRINGS ALWAYS COME.

[paulgrow]

I'm going to start my seeds next week with a tentative xplant date of May 15th. As long as the soil temp is 50 degrees its okay. Mother nature has a way of catching up quickly.

[Tormato]

I went outside this morning and felt this strange warmth in the direction of the sun. Anyone know what it might be?

[Gardeneer]

Last 2 season i stated my seeds way too early. I learned that it is not worth it. So this year i got on board on Feb 17.. I think this is the right timing. I fiugured 6 week prior to plant out is pretty good.

If we get nice weather early, i can plant smaller seedlings.
We, the gardeners, some time run out of patience, get winter blues, get itchy ..lol
I am trying to cope with that by find8ng something else to do..

Last year at this time I was putting lettuces, bok choi ,carrots and other things in ground. Today we are covered with the leftovers of the 16" of record snow we had this year ! Here are some of my peppers, tomatoes, that are getting pretty big- I'm running out of space in my indoor grow area!

[Gardeneer]

Our weather is right on the mark, statisticaly.
The 15 days forecast looks good. Thats about time to harden off my seedling, then plant out within a week after that..
Time to pot up, to give the roots more room.

Weatherwise, Can,t complain.

[tryno12]

No Joke Torm, the sun has been missing here in Indy for a long while........................yeah! saw a bit last few days but headed back to rain and clouds

[Harry Cabluck]

Anybody know if this will be the latest Easter on record? Seems like all tomato seeds planted on Jan. 1 are growing at the rate of about two weeks behind last year....and year before.