March has decided to storm in like a lion this year and while the greenhouse is bursting with activity, we are looking at another snow event in our forecast. How do we know when planting is the right time? This is where watching patterns helps and luckily there are many experts that do this for us.
Every year gardeners, farmers, researchers and weather watchers are all documenting the last frost dates. This is the last day of the spring that dips below freezing. Even a few hours below freezing can cause serious damage to summer crops. This date is different depending on your specific region. In our area in the Piedmont of the mid-Atlantic, May 1 seems to be a good rule of thumb with most frost events done by the middle of April. These frost dates, both first and last, give us our climate zones.
In our class, we take this information and count backwards to determine the best time to plant our seeds. Tomatoes tend to take 6-8 weeks indoors to be healthy, vigorous plants to go into the garden. That means this week and next week we will be working to get the tomatoes planted. Peppers take quite a bit longer. Particularly if they are hot peppers. We put those seeds in several weeks ago and some have still yet to germinate. It takes a lot of patience waiting on the hottest of peppers! Last year our peppers were well ahead of the ones sold at the big box stores which means earlier peppers for you.
So while we all wait for the snow to pass, we will continue to dream of warmer days ahead and cheer on the hottest of peppers from the comfort of our 3rd floor greenhouse.
Every year gardeners, farmers, researchers and weather watchers are all documenting the last frost dates. This is the last day of the spring that dips below freezing. Even a few hours below freezing can cause serious damage to summer crops. This date is different depending on your specific region. In our area in the Piedmont of the mid-Atlantic, May 1 seems to be a good rule of thumb with most frost events done by the middle of April. These frost dates, both first and last, give us our climate zones.
In our class, we take this information and count backwards to determine the best time to plant our seeds. Tomatoes tend to take 6-8 weeks indoors to be healthy, vigorous plants to go into the garden. That means this week and next week we will be working to get the tomatoes planted. Peppers take quite a bit longer. Particularly if they are hot peppers. We put those seeds in several weeks ago and some have still yet to germinate. It takes a lot of patience waiting on the hottest of peppers! Last year our peppers were well ahead of the ones sold at the big box stores which means earlier peppers for you.
So while we all wait for the snow to pass, we will continue to dream of warmer days ahead and cheer on the hottest of peppers from the comfort of our 3rd floor greenhouse.