Took a HUGE risk today!

[nachoqtpie]

We planted our tomatoes! The 10 day forecast is saying above freezing every night, but we do have things to cover them with if needed.

They were growing over the top of our lights and they were beginning to get a little leggy too.

I sure hope we didn't screw up by putting them in this early!

 

[SprigOfTheLivingDead]

I was out prepping to build a raised bed yesterday in the 60 degree temps. Tomorrow the high is in the 20s :/

I hope the weather works in your favor

 

[Smart Red]

I hope the weather works out in your favor as well. Did you check the soil temperature? When is your last expected frost date? While tomatoes may survive cooler weather, they won't be happy. No frost is only a part of the planting time-frame.

 

[catjac1975]

There is no benefit in putting tomatoes out early if the soil is still cold. I would keep them covered in a cloche. It is not just about frost.

 

[nachoqtpie]

The soil was pretty warm actually! There were a few that were a bit chilly when I put the egg and banana peel in there (something my husband wanted to try this year) but mostly warm.
Today it's supposed to be 80+! Almost all of the mexico midgets had the starts of flower buds on them as well. Our last frost date is the beginning of April according to Burpee, so I'm only a couple of weeks early.

 

[Nyboy]

Whats a Mexico midget ?

 

[frontiergirl53]

I feel bad for everyone, our last frost chance was weeks ago! Right now its 70 degrees- with a high of 91!

 

[nachoqtpie]

@Nyboy It's a grape tomato variety that we got from SSE. They're very delicious!

 

[nachoqtpie]

And I apologize... Burpee says my last frost date was 3-15!

 

[897tgigvib]

www.weather.gov

What you do is go to this site, and then type your zip code in it. It then brings up your weekly forecast, supposedly pinpointed to the post office at that zip code.

There is a map that shows up on the right side.

Click where your house and garden is in the map, and it reloads to your exact location with a one square mile center.

If you do it a lot through the course of a year or so, and keep track of how close their forecast is for your precise location, you can then know your microclimate better than the weather service does.

I've been doing it several years now, about 5 years or so, and I know that when there is water in the lake during winter, my actual low temps will be 10 to 15 degrees warmer than what it says they will be. (The other side of Orchid hill gets the temps they forecast.) But when the lake is low in winter, the low forecast temps will be close to what they predict.

Also, I've found that 20% chance of showers means that if it sprinkles on a flat stone, it will not get completely wet.
20% chance of rain means the flat stone will barely get completely wet.
80% chance of rain means 100%, and we'll get a quarter inch. 100% chance of rain means it's going to rain hard.

But at your particular place you'll come up with different assesments. (ok spell check, how do you spell assessments?) 2 ss's twice? Okay.