This is a journal of my vegetable gardens. Skippy was my first dog and he thought the garden was his, even though I did all the work. Now Suzie and Charley follow in his footsteps. We're located near Boston (USDA zone 6A). I have a community plot, a backyard vegetable garden, fruit trees, berry bushes, chickens, and bees. I use sustainable organic methods and do my best to grow all of my family's vegetables myself.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
seedlings out in the sun
These are the hardy ones. Onions, broccoli, lettuce, etc. Temps are still just under 50 at mid day. I'll be bringing them in at night for a while yet.
6 comments:
Amelia
said...
Hi Kathy!
I'd love your opinion on a question I have about "last frost" and putting things outside. The most frequently cited last-frost date for DC is April 15 (although I suppose it could vary by terrain a bit). So if I look at the 10-day forecast on April 5 and it looks highly unlikely that there will be frost, could I treat April 5 as the new last-frost date and adjust my transplanting schedule accordingly? Or should I wait, given that some of my seedlings will still be rather small (since they were planted with April 15 in mind)? It's kind of a question of what to do if you happen to get a bonus week or two. Do you think things do best if they are outside as soon as it's technically safe, or might it be better to coddle them for those 'extra' weeks anyway?
I hope this spring isn't as rainy as last. With it raining, seems like every other day, I still haven't gotten around to amending my garden. And I wanted to plant radish and peas on 4/10. I'm starting to get bummed out! : (
The mizuna and some of the kale have gone to their forever homes (some in pots so I can haul it in in case of emergency here about 30 miles south of you on the RI border). I'm so impatient...just want to eat a salad from my garden NOW.
Yeah - the rain is starting to look like a bit too much. I hope its not a long term pattern.
Amelia, I think the coddling is best for most plants, as long as you can give them enough light. I'm just running short of lights and trying to minimize the electricity I use.
Around the 20th of April (2 weeks) I need to clear out space for cukes and squash seedlings. So I'm trying to move as many trays outside as I can.
I don't like to risk putting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cukes, squash and other warm weather plants out early. I usually wait til its nice and warm. Plants like lettuce, broccoli, onions, cabbage, spinach, peas, parsley, beets, carrots, etc (cool weather plants) seem to prefer being out in the garden and you could put those out on your early (April 5) date. I'm sure this date is fine down in DC as it seems probably fine even up here for cool weather crops.
I'm growing lettuce for the first time this year. I've started sprouting them inside and now want to start acclimating them to the outdoors during the day. What's the minimum temperature at which you put them outside? They're used to 60-65 degrees in the house.
6 comments:
Hi Kathy!
I'd love your opinion on a question I have about "last frost" and putting things outside. The most frequently cited last-frost date for DC is April 15 (although I suppose it could vary by terrain a bit). So if I look at the 10-day forecast on April 5 and it looks highly unlikely that there will be frost, could I treat April 5 as the new last-frost date and adjust my transplanting schedule accordingly? Or should I wait, given that some of my seedlings will still be rather small (since they were planted with April 15 in mind)? It's kind of a question of what to do if you happen to get a bonus week or two. Do you think things do best if they are outside as soon as it's technically safe, or might it be better to coddle them for those 'extra' weeks anyway?
Everything is lookin' great Kathy!
I hope this spring isn't as rainy as last. With it raining, seems like every other day, I still haven't gotten around to amending my garden. And I wanted to plant radish and peas on 4/10. I'm starting to get bummed out! : (
Your seedlings look great.
The mizuna and some of the kale have gone to their forever homes (some in pots so I can haul it in in case of emergency here about 30 miles south of you on the RI border). I'm so impatient...just want to eat a salad from my garden NOW.
Yeah - the rain is starting to look like a bit too much. I hope its not a long term pattern.
Amelia, I think the coddling is best for most plants, as long as you can give them enough light. I'm just running short of lights and trying to minimize the electricity I use.
Around the 20th of April (2 weeks) I need to clear out space for cukes and squash seedlings. So I'm trying to move as many trays outside as I can.
I don't like to risk putting tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, beans, cukes, squash and other warm weather plants out early. I usually wait til its nice and warm. Plants like lettuce, broccoli, onions, cabbage, spinach, peas, parsley, beets, carrots, etc (cool weather plants) seem to prefer being out in the garden and you could put those out on your early (April 5) date. I'm sure this date is fine down in DC as it seems probably fine even up here for cool weather crops.
Hello. Am so enjoying your blog!
I'm growing lettuce for the first time this year. I've started sprouting them inside and now want to start acclimating them to the outdoors during the day. What's the minimum temperature at which you put them outside? They're used to 60-65 degrees in the house.
Thanks!
I put lettuce outside down to 40-45*F.
Mine spent their first night outside last night. They seem very happy about that. Not tonight though - they'd get drowned if they were outside. :(
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