Chilly Nights Ahead, Should I Hold Off Planting?

greenthumbomaha · May 1, 2020

Soil temp has reached 60 degrees but cold air temps are forecast for Omaha next week. The transplants are not enjoying their pots and frequent watering, and have been outside hardening off the past week.
Three days of below average 65 degree day temps, potentially 43 degree nighttime lows. I have .09 oz frost cover. Will the cold stunt the plant vs getting them in the ground to establish roots? Torn what to do.

- Lisa

Our last frost date changed from May 15 to May 4. I usually plant out around now and rolled the dice to get long season tomatoes to ripen.

taboule · May 1, 2020

I'd wait a bit longer, one week hardening isn't too long and your little plants have to be patient. Why do you think they're not doing good in the pots, any visible signs of stress?

Your weather is warmer and ahead of mine, it will be a long time for my soil to reach 60 -you're lucky for that.

Today is the day for me to take my tomatoes out. We have rain, so I will shelter them under a roof.

slugworth · May 1, 2020

Walk on the ground barefoot.
If it is comfortable for you, then it will be for the plants.
Soil temp is more of a factor than air temp.

zipcode · May 1, 2020

Those temps don't sound that bad tbh. Stunted plants in pots, with a mass of roots at the bottom is a pretty bad thing which will halt development for quite a while. I would plant.

Koala Doug · May 1, 2020

It is really a matter of variable cold temperatures vs root-bound plants.

If the plants are badly root-bound, put them in the ground.

If they can stand to be in the pots for another week, then wait it out.

Or pull a staggered approach: Plant some in the ground now and leave some in their containers for next week.

PaulF · May 1, 2020

Lisa, we are in nearly the same boat. My soil temp is closer to 70 degrees F but I like the air temperature at night to consistently be above 55. No big hurry since even if you plant early and it is too cool ( both soil and air) the plants will just shift into neutral and nothing will happen until the temps warm up. One week will not get you earlier tomatoes and may add stress to the plants which will actually slow their grown down.

Just sixty miles south, our last average frost is now at April 25 and I still wait until May 5 to transplant.

JRinPA · May 2, 2020

This is why I start my seeds so late and use soil blocks. I don't like worrying over them getting rootbound, and I want them to hit the ground running. I wouldn't put out anything (long season crops) here for a while. I never see much return on tomatoes before May 15 or Peppers/Eggplant before another week after that.

I may get some sweet corn in under clear plastic this week. I saw some farm field sweet corn under plastic in early April already.
I like looking at the 8-14 and 3-4 week on this site, seems pretty reliable.
https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
Next two weeks
Cold and wettish for PA.
Cool and dry-ish for NE.

greenthumbomaha · May 2, 2020

I'm now seeing 38 and 39 degree predictions for Thursday and Friday night. PaulF you are only gaining one degree over me. Earlier in the week I became impatient and gambled by planting Indian Stripe PL, Pervaya Lyubov, and Kimberly in containers, and another P.L. inground. Buckets and row cover at the ready. Maybe my peas will take off.

JR, I don't like NOAA saying we will be chilly

If only my spinach could hang in a few more days before going to flower.

- Lisa

JRinPA · May 4, 2020

I'm in the same boat now with beans. I started 3x ea of my three pole beans as a test. 9 of 9 germinated. Fortex slower than the rest, as usual. They are up and looking good. I was hoping to transplant them to a certain spot, raised bed, and grow them each out for seed so I don't have to worry about saving seed from my main beans this summer.

I was planning to plant out today, but now the forecast is for a chilly 34F this coming Saturday night. 37F tonight. I have never transplanted beans, and usually I direct seed in June.

How cold is too cold for young pole beans?

PaulF · May 4, 2020

Went crazy and planted melons, squash, pumpkins and tomatoes before the rain came in. This is the earliest ever for the Brownville garden. Got a little antsy, I guess. Peppers, sunflowers and corn later this week.

JRinPA · May 4, 2020

Well, that's a good direction for crazy!

slugworth · May 4, 2020

Put a store bought 4th of july hybrid tomato plant in the cement blocks today.
It already has a tiny green tomato on it and want to beat my last years record
of a ripe tomato june 15th
Last year I put it in may 12th

CrazyAboutOrchids · May 5, 2020

Itching, itching, itching to get my plants in the ground but holding off. Intellicast has overnights of 34/35 forecast for Friday and Saturday nights with a few 39's following. I have poly row tunnels, I may put them out later today with a thermometer in them to see how low the temps drop overnight compared to the forecasted temp.

Mine should go out around mid-May so I don't have too much longer.

brownrexx · May 5, 2020

Holding off on planting mine in the ground too even though they are totally hardened off. It will be dropping into the upper 30's at the end of the week.

PaulF · May 5, 2020

Granddaughter and I finished the garden yesterday no matter the forecast. Sunflowers, corn and peppers are all in.

May 1, 2020	#1
greenthumbomaha Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Omaha Zone 5 Posts: 2,514	Chilly Nights Ahead, Should I Hold Off Planting? Soil temp has reached 60 degrees but cold air temps are forecast for Omaha next week. The transplants are not enjoying their pots and frequent watering, and have been outside hardening off the past week. Three days of below average 65 degree day temps, potentially 43 degree nighttime lows. I have .09 oz frost cover. Will the cold stunt the plant vs getting them in the ground to establish roots? Torn what to do. - Lisa Our last frost date changed from May 15 to May 4. I usually plant out around now and rolled the dice to get long season tomatoes to ripen. Last edited by greenthumbomaha; May 1, 2020 at 07:26 AM.

May 1, 2020	#6
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Lisa, we are in nearly the same boat. My soil temp is closer to 70 degrees F but I like the air temperature at night to consistently be above 55. No big hurry since even if you plant early and it is too cool ( both soil and air) the plants will just shift into neutral and nothing will happen until the temps warm up. One week will not get you earlier tomatoes and may add stress to the plants which will actually slow their grown down. Just sixty miles south, our last average frost is now at April 25 and I still wait until May 5 to transplant. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes. Last edited by PaulF; May 1, 2020 at 01:57 PM.

May 4, 2020	#10
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,296	Went crazy and planted melons, squash, pumpkins and tomatoes before the rain came in. This is the earliest ever for the Brownville garden. Got a little antsy, I guess. Peppers, sunflowers and corn later this week. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

May 1, 2020	#2
taboule Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: MA Posts: 903	I'd wait a bit longer, one week hardening isn't too long and your little plants have to be patient. Why do you think they're not doing good in the pots, any visible signs of stress? Your weather is warmer and ahead of mine, it will be a long time for my soil to reach 60 -you're lucky for that. Today is the day for me to take my tomatoes out. We have rain, so I will shelter them under a roof.

May 1, 2020	#3
slugworth Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: connecticut,usa Posts: 1,152	Walk on the ground barefoot. If it is comfortable for you, then it will be for the plants. Soil temp is more of a factor than air temp.

May 1, 2020	#4
zipcode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Romania/Germany , z 4-6 Posts: 1,582	Those temps don't sound that bad tbh. Stunted plants in pots, with a mass of roots at the bottom is a pretty bad thing which will halt development for quite a while. I would plant.

May 1, 2020	#5
Koala Doug Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2017 Location: Detroit Posts: 688	It is really a matter of variable cold temperatures vs root-bound plants. If the plants are badly root-bound, put them in the ground. If they can stand to be in the pots for another week, then wait it out. Or pull a staggered approach: Plant some in the ground now and leave some in their containers for next week.

May 2, 2020	#7
JRinPA Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: SE PA Posts: 972	This is why I start my seeds so late and use soil blocks. I don't like worrying over them getting rootbound, and I want them to hit the ground running. I wouldn't put out anything (long season crops) here for a while. I never see much return on tomatoes before May 15 or Peppers/Eggplant before another week after that. I may get some sweet corn in under clear plastic this week. I saw some farm field sweet corn under plastic in early April already. I like looking at the 8-14 and 3-4 week on this site, seems pretty reliable. https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/ Next two weeks Cold and wettish for PA. Cool and dry-ish for NE.

May 5, 2020	#13
CrazyAboutOrchids Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Zone 6 - CT Posts: 155	Itching, itching, itching to get my plants in the ground but holding off. Intellicast has overnights of 34/35 forecast for Friday and Saturday nights with a few 39's following. I have poly row tunnels, I may put them out later today with a thermometer in them to see how low the temps drop overnight compared to the forecasted temp. Mine should go out around mid-May so I don't have too much longer.

May 5, 2020	#14
brownrexx Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: Southeastern PA Posts: 1,420	Holding off on planting mine in the ground too even though they are totally hardened off. It will be dropping into the upper 30's at the end of the week.