what tells you its time to plant?

[TightenUp]

about that time of the year here in NJ. just checked the 10 day forecast and if the weather cooperates i may plant out in a week or so. i pretty much go by the weather forcast for the low temps but wondering what everyone else does

[TightenUp]

i made this so you can select multiple options so check whatever applies

[bughunter99]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

about that time of the year here in NJ. just checked the 10 day forecast and if the weather cooperates i may plant out in a week or so. i pretty much go by the weather forcast for the low temps but wondering what everyone else does

Soil temps and ten day forecast

[Worth1]

You need to add none of the above for some of us.

Worth

[carolyn137]

Size of the plants to go out versus the weather forecast.

Carolyn

[matilda'skid]

extended forecast for night lows

[TightenUp]

so far the night temps seem to be of the most concern. what's the lowest temp you like to see in a 10 day forecast?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by TightenUp

so far the night temps seem to be of the most concern. what's the lowest temp you like to see in a 10 day forecast?

Jeff our weather runs wild down here.

To be honest I couldn't care less if it gets down to 34F at night for a night or two.

It got down in the 30's the other night and I have huge plants outside.

If I waited for constant warmer nights before planting out we would never have tomatoes.
My neighbor up the road has a red bud tree when the buds come out and the oaks bud out it is time to plant outside.

Worth

[TightenUp]

Originally Posted by Worth1

My neighbor up the road has a red bud tree when the buds come out and the oaks bud out it is time to plant outside.

Worth

i thought about adding an option to the poll along the lines of...when a specific bud comes to bloom...guess i should have.

my nights are hovering in the low 40's but i haven't even started to harden off most of the plants. i have some inclement weather coming mid week and hope to start hardening off either in the clouds or right after the storms passes. too early to tell exactly what the weather will be.

either way i should be able to plant out within 2 weeks. these darn things are getting too big and i'm pushing my seed starting date back 2 weeks next year

[feldon30]

I check overnight temps to make sure they aren't predicted to go below 36°F in the next 7-10 days. I do this lookup on Wunderground.com or NOAA which are both very accurate. Wunderground is pessimistic on temperatures which makes it a good choice if you want a lowball on overnight temps. Local weather reports are near useless as they tend to report daily highs and daily lows (temperature at midnight and noon) rather than actual highs and lows which are typically 2pm and 5am.

I don't know about New Jersey, but in Texas we usually have at least one near-frost event in early April, so we just have to grin and bear it. I'm now of the belief that tomato plants in Texas should be planted, caged, and immediately wrapped with summerweight row cover. The cover should be opened on hot days, but otherwise shouldn't be removed until the 3rd week of April.

[babice]

I am container planting and am waiting for night temps to get around 50-55. I'm itching to put them out but know better. I'm keeping them under lights and trying to keep the room around 50 or so at night and warmer during the day. I'm actually going to put them in larger pots today.

It's been way too cold to do much of any gardening around here. I just got back from a trip to PA/NJ and you guys have stuff blooming out there...red buds, etc. Only stuff blooming around here are daffodils, bulbs and pansies. Grass sure is green and growing though. Today it's gorgeous but supposed to get back to low of 29 overnight tomorrow so I'm hanging tight and resisting the urge to put things outside.

[Got Worms?]

It's complicated. I was hoping to keep the secret to myself, but you have asked, ...and so I must reply. In absentia of knowledge, as it should always be, based on pure science (lol), and facts; being that the involvement of the so said factors (facts) are very diverse and at the same time extremely convoluted, there is only chaotic therum to utilize.

Even in consideration of, and in addition to this, our historical meteorological data in and of which we base our forward thought of atmospheric comprehension and all that it implies, it would be a bogus assumption on our part to even think that we could rely on this pitifully inadequate (even if intentionally well meaning) system of agricultural aforethought, were it to be our only means of bringing order to the chaos previously mentioned. Furthermore, and without bias or prejudices for those that endeavor to cast to the fore, I say: "Give it up!"

Now, lets get down to the real nitty gritty. For those of you that are still with me... I'm a gambling man, but only when the odds are well in my favor, and I must also have a back up plan, a contingency, a plan B as they say. Winging it is a gamble with odds that I don't like. Two weeks ago things looked great for setting out plants, and I've set out plants in mid April before, right here where the average last frost date is May 15, and the county extension says "not 'till two weeks after the ALF date". If I had put them out I wouldn't have them now, unless I made preparations well in advance, which I was not willing to put the effort into. Preparations include cloches, plastic, sprinklers, alarm clock, remote temp. sensors, timers etc., etc., etc.

"So", you say,"how do I determine when to plant out?" Yes, I'm getting to that. At my age it's the journey that counts not the destination. How much work and time am I willing to invest in getting that early tomato; that extra two to three weeks of production on each end of the season? Do you see where I'm going? When do you want to plant out? How much time/money are you willing to invest. This is the big consideration. Do you have the time? Fickle weather can be demanding.

In some years I've played it safe and waited 2 weeks after the ALF date and checked the forecast to be sure there would be at least a nice number (4-5) warm days with frost less nights ahead before setting out plants. These were the lazy years. And they still weren't guaranteed.

Then there was my ancient Indian folklore years: Plant corn seed with a fish head buried 4 fingers below it when oak leaves are as big as mouse ears, etc. (Best corn I ever grew, BTW.) Sacrifice a spring lamb to the BBQ god. Check the forecast from Stonehenge, moon phases, and my all time favorite: Plant out when enough beating hearts have been torn from the chests of our enemies and hurled down the stone steps of the pyramid to insure a good harvest. Blood is high in nitrogen!

For the record and those just wanting to know: Unless there's a big storm and my garden has been turned into a big mud hole, I'll be setting out my tomato plants on May first. Why?...no reason, I just want to.
Charlie

[lycomania]

Hi Babice,

When you say you know better than to put your plants out now, is it because of likelihood of a frost, or that the plants don't do well if night temps go below the 50-55 mark?

I am in zone 5b in NH and am thinking about using some plastic and WOW's to put a few plants out next week. I'm guessing that with those preparations I could get a headstart?

I was also thinking of laying down a plastic barrier during our usual sopping wet part of spring just to limit the amount of water in the ground to what I put there!

[lycomania]

I loved your post, Charlie! Beautiful mix of fancy and fact.

I think I'm with you, I want to plant what is ready by May 1st. I have a larger set coming along probably a little later than that as a backup as well. (I can always buy plants near our LFD if necessary).

[NorthTom]

I once heard a gardener say she would test soil temperatures by sitting on the ground with her bare buttocks. If after 5 or 10 minutes it didn't feel uncomfortably cool, it was good to go.