On Saturday morning, before making pancakes for the children, I headed off to Walmart to get some plants and something else, though I cannot remember what. [Tara says it was Delsum, the amazingly expensive and amazingly effective cough syrup.] Toby and I found some very fine tomato plants and a few flowers and brought them home. Later in the day I worked aggressively and got about half of everything planted. I was pleased.
Back in my childhood, I remember hearing the date "April 15" as the one for beginning to plant in Minnesota. Southern Minnesota, of course, where I have lived for the vast majority of my life. Apparently April 15 is no longer a safe passage for this. Global warming, my nose hairs.
Going outside this morning, I noticed a rather thick layer of frost on my windshield. And on the tomato plants. The top two or three tiers of leaves were completely destroyed... frozen to death. The lowest layer, apparently too close to the soil, seems to have survived. The other flowers I think were pansies and did not sustain any damage. I guess pansies really aren't.
I sat in on a marvelous lit class today not taught by me.
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2 comments:
In Kentucky, which is farther south, we don't usually plant tomatoes outside until after Derby Day, the first Saturday in May. If it ain't warm enough for the horses to run. it sure ain't warm enough for the tomatoes!
Jim,
April 15th is the date you can plant seeds for vegetables that are considered cool weather crops (lettuce, brocoli, carrots, peas are some that I have planted already). Tomatos and other warm weather crops need to be planted after the last chance for frost which I am told is May 22nd for us. I'm including an U of Mn website with their recommended planting dates. Hope this helps.
http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1422.html
Ross
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