Thread: Weather
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Old November 22, 2016   #56
b54red
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Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Alabama
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post
Bill, I see that you understand Texas weather too. I've seen people planting tomatoes as early as late February here, and I've watched others lose tomato plants May 2 to frost and freeze.

Temperature averages are just that. It means they take in data that some years the low for that day is 15F and another year it is 64F. It is an average taken from many years of figures. Tropical and arctic temps are easier to rely on.
Yes, I once had to replant all my peppers and tomatoes in very early June because of a May series of frosts and light freezes that left them either dying or stunted. By the time I realized how damaged they were I didn't get my main crop of tomatoes in till June 15 but it turned out to be an unusually cool summer that year and we had a very late fall so it actually worked out well despite the hassle. It always pays to have plenty of replacement plants down here especially when spring planting is starting.

Despite how hard it is to do I always watch my tulip poplars to see when they start leafing out before planting tomatoes or other frost sensitive seedlings no matter what the weather feels or looks like. So far no losses since following this native tree which for the past 20 years has not missed signalling a late frost or freeze by delaying opening up despite unseasonably warm weather.

Bill
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