Northeners: Anyone else Zone Pushing ths Year? - Page 4

Catherine+twin · March 23, 2015

Well, I'm not a northerner, but I live at 7200 feet on a mountain side, so I'm still in zone 5/6, and with our cool summer nights and temperate summer days we may have a 24 hour average over 70 F for about a week in June. I remember being told the tomato plants shouldn't even be set out until the average temp was over 70, when I first started gardening mfffm years ago. Yeah, that's not happening.

So I'm zone-pushing just by planting a heat-loving plant like a tomato in the first place.

OTOH, I have gotten frozen the last two years by late frosts, so I'm in no rush. When I bought this house 30 years ago, I could count on snow cover in the shadow of the house from Thanksgiving until the end of February. I haven't seen that in several years now, or much rain in the summer, but as a couple of other have mentioned, the spring frosts have stretched out later.

Catherine

Cole_Robbie · March 24, 2015

Low of 26 coming up for me two nights from now. At that temp, I just abandon ship and bring all my plants from the greenhouse into my living room for the night.

bughunter99 · March 25, 2015

Mine came in Monday for the 6" freak snowstorm, but are out again now to take advantage of the incoming thunderstorms. I love what thunderstorms do to plants!. They are all still coming in at night though the cole crops and lettuce and chart, I could probably leave in the pop up greenhouse now. Peppers and eggplants and peanuts won't get a field trip outside until air temps hit 65. That might be tomorrow. I love March in Chicagoland. Whacky weather almost every day!

barefootgardener · March 25, 2015

High of 36 degrees today. Woke up to freezing rain and scattered snow flurries. No trips out to the gh today. All my seedlings are staying in the house where it is warm and cozy.

Tormato · March 25, 2015

My seedling growing area is down to about 18" of snow, with temps in the 50's with rain in the forecast. Any month now, I'll be starting seeds.

At least I started a few allium varieties.

rhines81 · March 25, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

My seedling growing area is down to about 18" of snow, with temps in the 50's with rain in the forecast. Any month now, I'll be starting seeds.

At least I started a few allium varieties.

Sounds like it will July before you are ready.

That rain will just compress the snow and hard pack it into an impenetrable frozen glob. I feel your pain, but hopefully the snow will also melt here too and I will see my muddy brown yard within the next few weeks!

KarenO · March 25, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tormato

My seedling growing area is down to about 18" of snow, with temps in the 50's with rain in the forecast. Any month now, I'll be starting seeds.

At least I started a few allium varieties.

Welcome to Canada Gary

Karen

Father'sDaughter · March 26, 2015

Today I can finally see the tops of my 12" high raised bed frames poking out of the snow. There is hope!

Mike723 · March 26, 2015

Last year I started germing around March 23rd here in Zone 6b.. This year I find myself a little late at March 6th! Reason being, they'll be going in the hoop house and I'm thinking I should have started late Feb. Usually they're in the ground by May 10-15th. I'm shooting for mid to late april so long as the soil cooperates. The ground in the hoophouse hasn't broken 45F just yet .. while the ambient temp's get near 70F on a decently sunny day. I've got the itch to say the least!! We had a rough winter here in CT, like so many of my other northern neighbors lol

Tormato · March 26, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by KarenO

Welcome to Canada Gary

Karen

I do have you Canadians to blame. You've been shipping your weather down here, bubble mailer...after bubble mailer...after bubble mailer.
It's starting to add up.

Gardeneer · March 26, 2015

I am now actively pushing.
Today I am taking 4 plants out for spring training. Today is beautiful . But 5 days down the road we will see lows just under 40F.

Cole_Robbie · March 26, 2015

Attention all greenhouse plants! This is your grower speaking. I am placing us under full evacuation order effective at sundown today. Compliance is mandatory. Seedlings and sprouts to the front of the line. This is not a drill.

Gardeneer · March 28, 2015

I continue my hardening off process.
Yesterday (Friday) i took 8 more plants outside and let them have some breeze and fresh air. Now there are in the cold frame. Today I will take out another 6-8 outside. They are over growing under light.

The weather is fine right now. The nigh lows are 40 - 48F for the next 10 days. No worries of frost. Need the highs to pick up and stay above 60F consistently. Then I'll put them in the ground.

I checked the soil temps (under black plastic) Warmed up nicely to 59F.

I was out shopping at HD yesterday. They have also tomato plants on the rack, in the parking lot. So dose Frey Meyers. But didn't see any pepper plants yet. So this tell me that them guys (Bonnie and others) hopefully know what they are doing.

Alrightee. So far so good. Most conservative gardeners won't plant out till mid May around here. But Then I ain't no conservative. I push my season over one month.

Cole_Robbie · March 28, 2015

Three nights of sub-freezing temps for me. 25 flats of plants in my living room. I haven't even bothered to put them in the sun during the day. Everything seems fine. They don't grow, but they seem to go into a holding pattern, and come out of it as soon as they get warm sunshine again.

Father'sDaughter · March 28, 2015

I started my seeds in DE last Sunday, and last night the elbows started poking up through the surface! They are on the dining room table at about 67F with no bottom heat, which is probably why they took almost a week.

Today it's snowing again--our 10th snowy weekend in a row! Still on track for end of May plant out.

March 25, 2015	#49
barefootgardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Michigan Zone 4b Posts: 1,291	High of 36 degrees today. Woke up to freezing rain and scattered snow flurries. No trips out to the gh today. All my seedlings are staying in the house where it is warm and cozy. Last edited by barefootgardener; March 25, 2015 at 06:11 PM.

March 23, 2015	#46
Catherine+twin Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Northern New Mexico Posts: 34	Well, I'm not a northerner, but I live at 7200 feet on a mountain side, so I'm still in zone 5/6, and with our cool summer nights and temperate summer days we may have a 24 hour average over 70 F for about a week in June. I remember being told the tomato plants shouldn't even be set out until the average temp was over 70, when I first started gardening mfffm years ago. Yeah, that's not happening. So I'm zone-pushing just by planting a heat-loving plant like a tomato in the first place. OTOH, I have gotten frozen the last two years by late frosts, so I'm in no rush. When I bought this house 30 years ago, I could count on snow cover in the shadow of the house from Thanksgiving until the end of February. I haven't seen that in several years now, or much rain in the summer, but as a couple of other have mentioned, the spring frosts have stretched out later. Catherine

March 24, 2015	#47
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Low of 26 coming up for me two nights from now. At that temp, I just abandon ship and bring all my plants from the greenhouse into my living room for the night.

March 25, 2015	#48
bughunter99 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: zone 5 Posts: 821	Mine came in Monday for the 6" freak snowstorm, but are out again now to take advantage of the incoming thunderstorms. I love what thunderstorms do to plants!. They are all still coming in at night though the cole crops and lettuce and chart, I could probably leave in the pop up greenhouse now. Peppers and eggplants and peanuts won't get a field trip outside until air temps hit 65. That might be tomorrow. I love March in Chicagoland. Whacky weather almost every day!

March 25, 2015	#50
Tormato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: MA Posts: 4,959	My seedling growing area is down to about 18" of snow, with temps in the 50's with rain in the forecast. Any month now, I'll be starting seeds. At least I started a few allium varieties.

March 26, 2015	#53
Father'sDaughter Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: MA/NH Border Posts: 4,917	Today I can finally see the tops of my 12" high raised bed frames poking out of the snow. There is hope!

March 26, 2015	#54
Mike723 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2014 Location: CT Posts: 290	Last year I started germing around March 23rd here in Zone 6b.. This year I find myself a little late at March 6th! Reason being, they'll be going in the hoop house and I'm thinking I should have started late Feb. Usually they're in the ground by May 10-15th. I'm shooting for mid to late april so long as the soil cooperates. The ground in the hoophouse hasn't broken 45F just yet .. while the ambient temp's get near 70F on a decently sunny day. I've got the itch to say the least!! We had a rough winter here in CT, like so many of my other northern neighbors lol

March 28, 2015	#58
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	I continue my hardening off process. Yesterday (Friday) i took 8 more plants outside and let them have some breeze and fresh air. Now there are in the cold frame. Today I will take out another 6-8 outside. They are over growing under light. The weather is fine right now. The nigh lows are 40 - 48F for the next 10 days. No worries of frost. Need the highs to pick up and stay above 60F consistently. Then I'll put them in the ground. I checked the soil temps (under black plastic) Warmed up nicely to 59F. I was out shopping at HD yesterday. They have also tomato plants on the rack, in the parking lot. So dose Frey Meyers. But didn't see any pepper plants yet. So this tell me that them guys (Bonnie and others) hopefully know what they are doing. Alrightee. So far so good. Most conservative gardeners won't plant out till mid May around here. But Then I ain't no conservative. I push my season over one month.