A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 no frost in forcast: should I plant?

The 10 day forcast for my zip takes me out to May 31, the lowest temp is 46.

Locals say to wait until snow is off the mountain or June 1.

What would you do?

Heck yeah, I'd be out there planting those guys!! But then again I really like planting and I tend to get a little planting-crazy Although all my plants were from a nursery, so I didn't have a personal attachment to them. Okay, I was a little attached. Anyway, I'd plant them and keep a close eye on the frost forecast!

Sarah

Depends on the robustness of the what your planting, local lore is often born of hard learned lessons, what's another week. I'd wait, we just had a frost last night, crazy weather this spring.

I'd listen to the locals:-)

What were you wanting to plant?

what don't I want to plant?

pumpkin, zucchini and summer squashes, beans, onions, tomato, peppers, basil, cilantro and a variety of root veggies, flowers, lettuce and peas.

I know lettuce and peas and spinich and root vegies would be fine, but I'm waitting for hubbola to build me a raised bed. (the peas I'm waiting for an inoculant)

I would probably be putting out a few tomatoes. As I've stated before I dig a hole and plant them deep and put a container like a plastic Folger's coffee container around them. You can always stick the top back on if you need too. Also cut holes for ventilation in them. Mine survived 24 degrees without any damage and have blooms now. I don't put all of mine out but a few to get an early start. But that is another personal desision. And I tend to gamble a bit. Most locals here used to wait till the 25th of May. But a few of us have got several to putting in earlier. Best of luck.

You'll definitely be OK planting your peas, lettuce, onions, and beans now. Lettuce and peas could have been planted a month or more ago. I'm in zone 6 and I started my cukes and squash inside last weekend and also put out a few peppers, broccoli, and tomatoes in the garden also. Curcurbits grow very fast, but are also very susceptible to frost. You could start everything as long as you have a plan to deal with any forecast of frost in the coming weeks. When is your last average frost date?

I have cut off juice jugs
*the very bottoms are cut off and I use the entire jug*...
I have planted several cucumbers and they've survived
some pretty cold dayssssssssss here,
we're on a stretch here like cold, damp, drizzle and clouds..
it's supposed to be breaking in a few days, but couldn't get much in..

But try those jugs.. I can swear/atest by them!!!

It's definatly time here in Massachsetts. I have never had any experience or for that matter been to Idaho. We don't have any mountains were I am, near Cape Cod. My peas are starting to run up the trellis, spinach weeded and thinned, lettuce growing, beets are up, onion plants have taken, radihes are picking. Tomatoes and peppers are going in this weekend. Squashes, melons, beans and cukes over the next week,these are all seeded outdoors, I just find they grow stronger when direct seeded.
ranger

average last frost is May 31

I know about the cold season veggies, but its been one thing or another here! stupid life gets in the way of the garden.

Doncha hate that!

That is a perpetual occurance here...
A Constant!!

Love the milk jug idea....a good one I'll use next year, I'm sure!...
This weekend, I'll plant my tomatos...they were started inside by my mother-in-law...so I better not kill them, cuz she'll be asking me about them...

I agree you should go ahead and plant. I had various lettuce and radishes going early. If it was getting cold that night (dropped into the upper 20s a couple of times) I just covered them in plastic. I'm on my second crop of radishes (should be ready in another week or so) and have been enjoying the various lettuce for the past couple of weeks.

Shawn

I would definitely not plant the warm weather veggies. the reason is that a few years ago I planted after the "frost free" date for the area and got a hard frost. I then found out this county is always a little later. My mom three miles away in another county and right on the Mississippi never gets frost when I do. Anyway that time I watched the weather and heard it might frost so I covered my peppers and tomatoes and they still all died. I had to replant everything. So now I never plant tomatoes, peppers, zucchini/squash, especially basil! until the end of May (frost free date here is May 15) when the ground has warmed up. However, I now have wall o waters and plant my tomatoes in them in early May. I planted on May 7th on the south side of my house and the plants are over the wall o waters already. Incidentally we had a light frost Monday when nothing was in the forecast!!! So luckily I had not planted my peppers yet.