Mid February garden weather

[ChanellG]

I am lucky to live in a place with relatively warm winters. When it does get cold - that's is down into the thirties, it is usually only overnight, and even then in the wee morning hours, and short-lived. It's rare to have those temperatures during the day, let alone for more than two days.

We just cover our cold season plants until things warm up again, and bring the delicate stuff indoors. Not having the space indoors I purchased a greenhouse two years ago. After losing a couple plants the first year I employed a homemade heater this year.

It's almost mid February and the worst of our winter is just about over (we are almost at our last average frost date) and I am debating about what to start and what to place out.

How are things where you are? What are you growing already or getting ready to plant?

 

[galmal]

Wow, you're almost at your last frost date - I have to wait until May 5th - yikes. The weather here in Tennessee has been really cold, and dreary, but luckily not a of snow. Today, though, the sun is out and the temperature is supposed to get up to almost 60 - yeah! I plan on getting outside and puttering a little, not really much I can do, but I'll clean the beds a little and see if anything is starting to green. I did notice the crocus blooming a few weeks ago, that's always great to see.

 

[ChanellG]

Wow, you're almost at your last frost date - I have to wait until May 5th - yikes. The weather here in Tennessee has been really cold, and dreary, but luckily not a of snow. Today, though, the sun is out and the temperature is supposed to get up to almost 60 - yeah! I plan on getting outside and puttering a little, not really much I can do, but I'll clean the beds a little and see if anything is starting to green. I did notice the crocus blooming a few weeks ago, that's always great to see.

May 5???? How do you stand it? Not only would I need a greenhouse in order to live there, I'd probably have to buy one of those seasonal disorder lights to improve my mood. If I wake up and there's no early light filtering through the window I'm not going to be happy - but all those months of cold? No way!

 

[Rosyrain]

The weather in Washington is bipolar to say the least, you never know when there is going to be a high temp or a low temp. To play it safe, I always wait until the beginning of April to start any sort of gardening. This year, I will be doing some small space gardening and I can't wait to get started.

 

[LIcenter]

No planting here til mothers day. Maybe a little sooner, but I wouldn't bet on it the way our winters have been recently. Right now the ground is frozen to roughly a foot deep. So I am quite envious to say the least. And yeah, I suffer a great deal from SADD. I need to move!

 

[R.R.]

This weekend it's gonna get in the 70's here. I love it so much, I'm grilling outside because the weather is perfect!

 

[ChanellG]

The weather in Washington is bipolar to say the least, you never know when there is going to be a high temp or a low temp. To play it safe, I always wait until the beginning of April to start any sort of gardening. This year, I will be doing some small space gardening and I can't wait to get started.

It was actually hot today. I was working in the yard and had to come back in and change into a sleeveless shirt. I have decided to take a chance with some early pre-spring planting. I just set some more peas to soak (growing shoots, not looking for peas) and these will go straight to the greenhouse for sprouting.

 

[ChanellG]

No planting here til mothers day. Maybe a little sooner, but I wouldn't bet on it the way our winters have been recently. Right now the ground is frozen to roughly a foot deep. So I am quite envious to say the least. And yeah, I suffer a great deal from SADD. I need to move!

Ugh! A foot deep????? Couldn't you do something in a cold frame? You should think about digging one of those partially underground greenhouses that allow for year-round gardening.

I'm seeing more and more starter plants at the local nurseries so I assume it's okay for me to get started on my seeds. I am taking it slow though, just in case there is an unexpected cold snap.

 

[ChanellG]

This weekend it's gonna get in the 70's here. I love it so much, I'm grilling outside because the weather is perfect!

We are having similar weather. Not sure what it got up to today, but it had have been at least in the low 70s. It's almost 4:30 pm and my phone is telling me it's 68. In about an hour I need to remember to go back out and close up the greenhouse. It's only supposed to be drop into the low 50s though; maybe I should leave it open...

 

[deepestblues]

I'm envious of you guys, girls and others. Today's high was 11, 4 feet of snow and it's still snowing. The last frost date is May 30th. This is a big difference than Texas. I'd plant everything by Valentines Day and I'd watch for a freak freeze. I know this is late but I was doing the snow thing almost all day. But, life is good.

 

[ChanellG]

I'm envious of you guys, girls and others. Today's high was 11, 4 feet of snow and it's still snowing. The last frost date is May 30th. This is a big difference than Texas. I'd plant everything by Valentines Day and I'd watch for a freak freeze. I know this is late but I was doing the snow thing almost all day. But, life is good.

Stop! You're making me cold! You need a Walipini! As well as a protected tunnel/path to get to it in the snow, yeesh! What are your temperatures like during the summer? How soon in the fall does it start to get cold?

 

[deepestblues]

While I do agree I probably need my head examined. (among other things) It's really nice in the summer. 80's and an occasional 90's. It cools off at the end of September. This will be different. A learning experience that's for sure.

 

[ChanellG]

While I do agree I probably need my head examined. (among other things) It's really nice in the summer. 80's and an occasional 90's. It cools off at the end of September. This will be different. A learning experience that's for sure.

So you have about four months of good gardening weather? July and August are traditionally hot as heck here, though this past summer it actually wasn't too bad. We weren't threatened by any hurricanes or tropical storms either, so that was a big help. I doubt my rickety erector set of a greenhouse would have held up under that kind of wind.

 

[LIcenter]

Ugh! A foot deep????? Couldn't you do something in a cold frame? You should think about digging one of those partially underground greenhouses that allow for year-round gardening.

I'm seeing more and more starter plants at the local nurseries so I assume it's okay for me to get started on my seeds. I am taking it slow though, just in case there is an unexpected cold snap.

It's not worth the hassle to install a cold frame. All of my planting areas are on one side of the yard, and all of my planting stuff (tools, etc.) are on the other side of my yard. I would then have to snowblow a 200+ foot path everytime I needed or wanted to get to the cold frame. This is not to say I haven't thought to build one, but the cons always out weigh the pros.

 

[Trellum]

This year not growing anything, but the next one I'll plant a lot edibles I'll plant some tomatoes, chillies and many herbs =D I plan to do that mostly because I'm worried about eating ''dirty'' crops full of pesticides. Also because certain things are hard to get in the place where I live, so it's good to plant your own. I'll talk more about it next year