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Old April 14, 2018   #1
JRinPA
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Default PA - Was today a good day to transplant?

Hey all, I'm in SE PA, Reading Allentown Phila region. Anyone around here transplanting brocolli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce etc yesterday and today? You locals know what the weather is like here.

It has been cold of course, pretty dry, and now the last two days around 80. The next couple days are back down in the 40s and stormy/rainy, then a few days from now nights are down to upper 30s again.

I haven't had much to transplant other than tomatoes until the last few seasons. I feel like I don't know what weather I should be taking advantage of for transplanting, and am wondering what other people do.

I am planting into raised beds and raised rows, sometimes through black plastic mulch, and then covered with AG19 on hoops. I have to water by hand if necessary.
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Old April 14, 2018   #2
kath
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Hi, JR!

Yes! I'm near Upper Black Eddy and I've just finished sowing, planting, transplanting all the cool weather stuff like potatoes, peas, lettuce, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, collards, onions, carrots, beets, radishes, parsley, chives...
Most is just in the ground, some in raised beds. I don't have anything covered any more except the carrots and beets with a layer of summer weight argon to prevent washout from watering until they sprout, and I don't use black plastic except to warm the soil for sweet potatoes in May, so you should be fine with what you've planned. Still have more brassicas to plant out when they're bigger.

Some years I've been able to plant some of these in March, but not this year! Past two days were so beautiful! Have to wait a few more weeks for sweet corn, beans, curcurbits, celery, and of course tomatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes and anything frost-sensitive. I start all of these ahead indoors so I can a head start after the last frost when the soil is warm enough.

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Last edited by kath; April 14, 2018 at 05:57 PM.
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Old April 14, 2018   #3
mobiledynamics
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Good luck. I'd rather wait a extra week or 2. Monday is supposedly a super soaker ?

heh, have not started on my beans yet. Once the transplants/light shelves are free, I'll start those. Probably when I start to harden them off.

I did not have any luck with beans last year. Direct sown - birds just kept pickering and peckering away. Whatever growth did happen, instead of beans for breakfast, they had bean salad leafs.
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Old April 14, 2018   #4
rhines81
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JRinPA View Post
Hey all, I'm in SE PA, Reading Allentown Phila region. Anyone around here transplanting brocolli, cauliflower, spinach, lettuce etc yesterday and today? You locals know what the weather is like here.
Green flag in SE PA. Go! You should be very good to plant out your started spinach, lettuce and peas. I don't grow cauliflower or broccoli so I don't know other than I 'think' they are on the same schedule. Direct sowing of seeds for those is still good here in the Poconos right now (10 degrees colder with snow expected Tuesday). I usually transplant my spinach, lettuce and pea starts at the end of April here.

Last edited by rhines81; April 14, 2018 at 07:03 PM.
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Old April 14, 2018   #5
JRinPA
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@kath, are your brussels sprouts for summer picking? I tried them last year, but I understood it to be a fall harvest crop and did not transplant until later. I haven't started them yet for this year. The ones that made it through last year were nice and sweet, but cabbage worms were murderous.

I know it is time of year to get the spring stuff out, but I guess I am thinking more from a tactical standpoint. Last week, this week, mid April - it is time, most years. But, two sunny warm/hot days, then 3-4 days of wet, cold, wind. Is it best to jump on that first day, or the evening before the weather? Is the cold, wet actually better for transplant than extended sunny and warm, as long as there is no washout?

On Thurs I was set to go for planting out on Sat. The Sunday weather at that time was 60F/50 with some showers likely. Sounded good.
On Friday all the forecasts changed to Sunday being a high of 48/45 with high winds and rain. Hmm.
Today, forecast for Sunday changed to 43F/43 with east winds and 1" of rain. Monday and Tues nights show 36F and 35F.

Had I not looked at the weather forecast at all, I would have planted out Fri evening / Saturday. With the hesitation, I ended up working on a chipper and didn't get around to the garden. Or get the chipper started. I posted the query here after it was too late, and I'm still not sure which I should have done.

Well, I guess the obvious answer; I should have went fishing.
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Old April 14, 2018   #6
PhilaGardener
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Temps here outside Philly are taking a dive through the 50s right now. It's another weather roller coaster! I did some yard work today - pruning, weeding and prepping. Peas and Favas are going in over the next few days but the jury is out. Good luck, chipper and all!
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Old April 14, 2018   #7
kath
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Originally Posted by JRinPA View Post
@kath, are your brussels sprouts for summer picking? I tried them last year, but I understood it to be a fall harvest crop and did not transplant until later. I haven't started them yet for this year. The ones that made it through last year were nice and sweet, but cabbage worms were murderous.

I know it is time of year to get the spring stuff out, but I guess I am thinking more from a tactical standpoint. Last week, this week, mid April - it is time, most years. But, two sunny warm/hot days, then 3-4 days of wet, cold, wind. Is it best to jump on that first day, or the evening before the weather? Is the cold, wet actually better for transplant than extended sunny and warm, as long as there is no washout?

On Thurs I was set to go for planting out on Sat. The Sunday weather at that time was 60F/50 with some showers likely. Sounded good.
On Friday all the forecasts changed to Sunday being a high of 48/45 with high winds and rain. Hmm.
Today, forecast for Sunday changed to 43F/43 with east winds and 1" of rain. Monday and Tues nights show 36F and 35F.

Had I not looked at the weather forecast at all, I would have planted out Fri evening / Saturday. With the hesitation, I ended up working on a chipper and didn't get around to the garden. Or get the chipper started. I posted the query here after it was too late, and I'm still not sure which I should have done.

Well, I guess the obvious answer; I should have went fishing.
Yes, I grow Gustus brussel sprouts and find that they are just as delicious in the spring and summer as in the fall! The plants I sow in March and plant in April continue to grow and produce until Oct/Nov! They need to be staked and grow to about 6' tall. The cabbage worms go after all the brassicas, but the aphids can really get into the brussel sprouts, too.

I usually try to find the time when the soil is dry enough to work and then go for it. I also don't like to wait too long to get the spring stuff in because they can suffer if it gets too hot too soon or if they outgrow their pots and I'm too lazy to pot them up again. Guess it's personal preference.
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Old April 14, 2018   #8
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I have nothing to offer in experience in PA, but I saw this thread right after you posted it, and I was curious to see the responses.
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Old April 15, 2018   #9
JRinPA
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There is a ton of info out there on the internet, but everyone's climate is so different and specifics as to dates and locations are rarely listed. I've never had trouble with tomatoes, but I don't rush them and usually transplant them on overcast/coolish spells. I just don't have a very good feel for spring transplants yet. I know few people that even do spring crops, let alone push the envelope at all.

My peas and beets are up. They peas took about 3 weeks. With lettuces, spinach, and chard, I experimented a bit. I built a set of cold frames from scrap wood to lay on the beds with a glass window on top. The day after I made them I seeded some rows, and also put in some very young transplants to compare to. The seeds came up pretty fast even with below freezing nights. The transplants I want to put in now are from the same start date, mid March, but have been living under the lights a lot longer. Basically I'm trying to figure out what crop works better which way. I was hoping this year I would figure it all out...

Quote:
GUSTUS -A newer variety with great taste and high yields! An excellent variety for home gardens and markets. Gustus is an early maturing with mid-green, firm buttons that are evenly spaced on the stalk. A high yielding sprout that grows 24″ tall. Sprouts weight 6 oz. with a smooth texture and cabbage-like flavor. === from urban farmer
Sounds like you know something they don't! 6ft! And a summertime producer. I have noticed the same with peas. Cascadia are supposed to be 30" or something, sugar sprint 26", but mine go 5'+. Kath if you have any extra gustus plants that need a home, I am open to adoption! 6 oz brussel sprouts!? I grew Dagan last year...they were good but little tiny buggers. This is exactly the kind of thing I need to learn - I appreciate it.

mobiled, I have not had any problems with beans and birds. Its only been a few years for me, but bush beans in the beds and pole beans in the garden have been fine. I put a fence around the garden for rabbits and groundhogs though, and I build the bean trellis and then seed under it in June. I've been told the latest date for a good bush bean crop here is July4, so last year I did three succession bush plantings until then. Worked well enough. Cardinals love the trellis but they are after the bugs and worms, not the beans. If birds are a problem I would suggest sowing seed in ground but just lay a fabric over them for a couple weeks. I use that AG19, bought at nolt's down on rt23. That would work fine for protecting beans. I may have done it last summer with bush beans - I honestly can't recall. I definitely use it that way over spring and fall peas, as well as okra. I lay in so many beans there is no way I would consider transplanting them.

PhilaG, the winds really have picked up. Right around dark the temp just plummeted from 80 or so. 44 now. We should have known it would be a screwy year when the Eagles won.
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Old April 15, 2018   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AlittleSalt View Post
I have nothing to offer in experience in PA, but I saw this thread right after you posted it, and I was curious to see the responses.
Me too.
Down south what do we know about PA cool crop dare.
But I am a Cool-Croper down here. All my cool crops get sown direct, no inside starting. I have peas, spinach, lettuce, raddish, onions, broccoli , parsley , potatoes... already growing.
I jut sow the seeds and let them grow at their own terms. With the exception of potatoes the resof them can tolerate frost even light freeze.
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Old April 15, 2018   #11
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We live 2 hrs nw of pittsburg. we have peas in the ground. thats it. I have three full greenhouses. we can't put a thing out yet. every night this week is at near or below 32°. I don't even have the high tunnels planted up. I just cleaned them out this weekend. and rain from yesterday until the end of the week. sigh.
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Old April 15, 2018   #12
brownrexx
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I am 65 miles West of Phila and I have peas in the ground since March 29 which are just popping up. I also planted spinach, lettuce, radish, beet, carrot and Swiss Chard seeds about a week ago. The lettuce and radishes are coming up.

I hardened off my head and romaine lettuce seedlings last week and planted them outside on Thursday night. I also planted off some purchased and already hardened off cabbage and cauliflower seedlings at the same time.

All of these veggies are cold tolerant and I expect them to be fine.

Tomatoes and peppers are still indoors under the lights of course.
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Old April 15, 2018   #13
kath
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My peas and beets are up. They peas took about 3 weeks.

Sounds like you know something they don't! 6ft! And a summertime producer. I have noticed the same with peas. Cascadia are supposed to be 30" or something, sugar sprint 26", but mine go 5'+. Kath if you have any extra gustus plants that need a home, I am open to adoption! 6 oz brussel sprouts!? I grew Dagan last year...they were good but little tiny buggers. This is exactly the kind of thing I need to learn - I appreciate it.

We should have known it would be a screwy year when the Eagles won.
Used to get the peas in by St. Patrick's Day until one year I couldn't and found that they came up a lot quicker when planted later. This year, sown 3/31, up on 4/10.

Doubt any of mine weighed 6 oz!!! I'd say they average 1-1.5" in diameter for me. Most people plant them for fall harvest only and top the plants to make them hurry and ripen all the sprouts at once but I never tried doing that. My experience is that if you don't top them, they just keep growing and setting more sprouts! Sorry, don't have spare brassica plants. And same experience here with regard to peas- never pay much attention any more to heights listed in catalogs.

about the Eagles' win! Yeah, high of 86.5 yesterday; today 41.4.
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Old April 15, 2018   #14
Nan_PA_6b
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Six ounce brussels sprouts. Hmmm. The weight of a large Early Girl tomato. Nope, I don't believe it. That's a small cabbage, not a sprout.

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Old April 16, 2018   #15
JRinPA
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I guess we got about 3+" of rain here, yesterday into today. That according to the pans and dishes I had left out that filled up. Might grow some 6 oz sprouts with that! LOL I figured that was a misprint. That would be a cabbage tree, not brussels sprouts. I just looked and found another site saying "A representative sample of 10 weighed a respectable 6 oz." Well that's a bit different, eh!

Radar was showing blue in western PA today. Schuylkill Expressway down in Philadelphia was flooded out. Looks like I will probably get some stuff out on Wednesday. I think it would have been okay had I planted out Saturday and covered it, but it sure was windy yesterday. I did finally get my tomatoes started and the *remaining* eggplant and peppers into soil blocks. This is the time of year when the grow light table gets really crowded.

Last edited by JRinPA; April 16, 2018 at 11:41 PM.
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