Don’t get in a hurry to plant

Don’t get in a hurry to plant. I know that this winter has been a non-winter and everyone, gardeners and farmers alike, is getting antsy to get into the garden and the fields.

My caution is don’t plant too early. The ground isn’t warm yet, even though it looks like it is. There are still ice crystals about 4 inches underground. And as dry as it has been, there is no moisture to germinate seeds at this point anyway.

I talked to one guy who raises wheat, oats and barley. I jokingly asked him if he was ready to plant yet. He remarked that if he did plant now and we got a small shot of moisture and then it turned dry again, the seeds would likely sprout and dry before the irrigation water came into the ditch. So, cool the horses, idle the engines and don’t get in too big of a hurry.

The same is true for gardens. Weather like this can make people start thinking about planting tomatoes outside in April. Resist as long as you can. We can still get frost in mid to late May. Frost that can devastate tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers, etc. Now starting tomatoes, peppers and such inside is another story. This is the time of year to get them started and get the seedlings growing so that the plants are ready to set out. Peppers, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and onions first, then tomatoes, and eggplant. Melons, squash and cucumbers can be started indoors too, but not too early or they will set back too hard when transplanting. The rule of thumb for vine crops is about 3-4 weeks before transplant time.

The question is a perpetual one, “How do I know when the ground is warm enough to plant my garden?” My favorite answer came from a really old British gardening guide. To determine if the soil is warm enough for seeds to germinate, take one’s trousers down and sit yourself down in the garden. If it is too cold to sit there comfortably, it is too cold to plant, and the seeds have a greater chance of rotting before they sprout.

I am sure one would want to be very discreet when testing out the garden patch. The neighbors might not understand what a person is attempting to do. So again, don’t plant tomatoes, peppers, and such outside without protection of some kind before mid-May. We might actually get winter before then.