Soil Temperature

[AlittleSalt]

I went out to check the soil temperature a few minutes ago 6:15pm. There's no sun in the garden. I put the thermometer in the soil and it reads 70F. So I went and got another thermometer and it reads 72F. I can't believe how warm the ground is on March 6.

That sounds to me like it's time to start planting more than onions, potatoes, garlic, and tomatoes.

[AlittleSalt]

Forgot to add pictures

[Worth1]

Salt the only thing I have not planted is Okra where the onions will be pulled and sweet potato slips.
My hills for the watermelons are running over 80 degrees every day and the seeds are already there.
I have planted beans and cucumber seeds too on different days.
My two thermometers stay in the soil all the time in the morning they are at 60 degrees.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

You guys now need to mulch, to keep the soil cooler.

[bower]

That is awesome, Salt... you're ready to roll.
One thing I think is true, seeds and plants respond to those natural day-night temperature cycles, I think better than the artificial conditions when we're starting them indoors on a mat. I think they sprout faster and grow faster too, when they get that little bit of cooling at night.

[AlittleSalt]

I already have seed packs spread out all over the kitchen bar. I need to go get the ones you (Worth) sent to us.

With okra, I decided not to save seeds this year so I can grow several different types. So far, I have seeds for Okra "Pink" , Louisiana Green Velvet. and Clemson Spineless #80, and Beck's Big Buck. But the soil needs to be around 80-90F.

[My Foot Smells]

Insane. Hope it's not an indicator of scorching summer. Y'all gettin that swath of rain swoopin thru? Their callin for bout 7" next week here.

[AlittleSalt]

Around 3.5 inches here is what they're calling for. That's part of the reason why I want to get a few things planted tomorrow like beans. It seems beans like to be soaked before/during planting, so I'm going to sow some of those I got from 2005. If nothing else, they'll turn into compost.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

You guys now need to mulch, to keep the soil cooler.

Mulch with what and where?
The potatoes need to stay cold the onions peppers and tomatoes need to warm up more at night at least to 70.
The sweet potatoes need to be warmer the other seeds need to be warmer to sprout faster.
The other option is to plant them sooner and just wait for them to sprout and hope they outgrow the snails before it gets to snail heaven temperatures.
The chard is growing like a weed and I cant keep up with it.
As for mulch all I have is tiny leaves and they become a breeding and nesting ground for snails and slugs.
It is a never ending battle.

[AlittleSalt]

I checked twice this morning at 7 and 10:30am. The soil temperature was/is 60F at both times. I'm going to go ahead and plant two rows of beans. Kentucky Wonder Bush and Fordhook Bush from 2005. I have others to plant in a couple of weeks. I decided to soak them for an hour or so in MG solution before planting.

The recent threads about pole beans have perked my interest. I'm going to have to try some of those too.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by AlittleSalt

I checked twice this morning at 7 and 10:30am. The soil temperature was/is 60F at both times. I'm going to go ahead and plant two rows of beans. Kentucky Wonder Bush and Fordhook Bush from 2005. I have others to plant in a couple of weeks. I decided to soak them for an hour or so in MG solution before planting.

The recent threads about pole beans have perked my interest. I'm going to have to try some of those too.

Which makes me think about a comment someone made here some time ago about raised bed width.
I am around 5'7" and have no problem reaching to the middle of a four foot bed.
Even at ground level.
The person that said they were too wide and found it difficult to reach made the comment that they were very tall like it was an advantage to be tall.
I can assure you the taller you are the better off you are with pole beans.
There is nothing cool about being bent over picking endless rows of beans.
I hated it when I was a kid and I hate it worse now and it isn't good for the back.
The only advantage bush beans have is no poles to put up and they put on all at once.
Just like tomatoes determinate and indeterminate
The advantage pole beans have is you can get away with planting close together and picking is fun not agony.
You also get to pick all season.
If I am not mistaking bush beans were developed for mechanical commercial harvesting to some degree.

Worth

[AlittleSalt]

I like the being able to harvest all season part and my back has to agree with you. I think it's a pain planting the garden

I would like to plant one 35' row of pole beans. I have a half pack of Blue Lake Stringless pole beans. I would like to find another variety that grows smooth round shaped pole beans.

I don't remember the variety we grew in 2011, but it was a pole bean that had flattened bean pods that felt leathery even after they were cooked. Nobody cared for them. I know it was a popular variety - I just don't remember which one they were.

[Worth1]

You might like rattlesnake beans.

Worth

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Mulch with what and where?
The potatoes need to stay cold the onions peppers and tomatoes need to warm up more at night at least to 70.
The sweet potatoes need to be warmer the other seeds need to be warmer to sprout faster.
The other option is to plant them sooner and just wait for them to sprout and hope they outgrow the snails before it gets to snail heaven temperatures.
The chard is growing like a weed and I cant keep up with it.
As for mulch all I have is tiny leaves and they become a breeding and nesting ground for snails and slugs.
It is a never ending battle.

Of course mulching around the plant, where elses
I meant mulch to keep the roots cool. Yes sure, cool crops like onions, garlic ... love cool temperature, both air and soil.

No vegetable likes real hot soil, ESPECIALLY potatoes. Potatoe shut off production when soil temps go higher than, 75F. No wonder it is grown where it cools down at nights, even though the day temps might run high. Down south, a lot of people grow two crops of potatoes. I used to do that in Atlanta.
If your soil is registering 70F that is near ideal for just about anything.
JUST MY OPINION. YMMV

Gardeneer

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by Gardeneer

Of course mulching around the plant, where elses
I meant mulch to keep the roots cool. Yes sure, cool crops like onions, garlic ... love cool temperature, both air and soil.

No vegetable likes real hot soil, ESPECIALLY potatoes. Potatoe shut off production when soil temps go higher than, 75F. No wonder it is grown where it cools down at nights, even though the day temps might run high. Down south, a lot of people grow two crops of potatoes. I used to do that in Atlanta.
If your soil is registering 70F that is near ideal for just about anything.
JUST MY OPINION. YMMV

Gardeneer

Onions might be considered a cool crop but they need warm weather to put on leaves.
These leaves will be another ring of onion.
A warm day and a cool night slows down this addition of a new leaf.
Warm days and nights make them grow like gangbusters.
You want as many warm fast growing days and as much nitrogen as they can stand before the daylight hours become long enough to make them bulb.
Once that happens it is all over, they bulb up and the plants die back and fall over for the year.

Worth