Frost Date

[gil1]

Most of my seeds are supposed to be planted "2 weeks before last frost" or some date relative to the last frost. I know it differs year to year, but what's the average in middle TN? Thanks.

 

[Hawk]

I think April 15 is the norm.

 

[catman529]

yep april 15 for this area, but I wait a week or so afterwards to plant usually.

I just started my tomatoes n peppers. For tomatoes, 1.5 months or 6 weeks before last frost is a good time to start. I used to start even earlier but grew tired of tall seedlings waiting to be planted.

What seeds are you planting that you are referring to?

 

[gil1]

I'm mainly seeding early for greens and some other cooler winter crops - carrots, parsnips, a few lettuces, spinach, and a couple of broccolis. I'll plant some asparagus crowns while I'm at it. I've also started soaking some Japanese sweet potatoes to hopefully get the tubers/slips going for planting in July. I've still got greens growing I planted from last fall. I just covered them when it froze, which wasn't often this winter.

I'm also doing some warm-season planting. I'll seed some okra (cause Sako from tndeer sent me some of his personal seed stash), but the rest will be plants. I'll plant a few varieties of tomato, some zucchini, squash, corn, and red bell peppers. I won't plant that stuff until the greens start dying off in June.

I only plant stuff wifey and I really like. There are a few things we like but don't plant because it tastes mostly the same in grocery stores and we want to conserve space for the stuff we really like.

 

[catman529]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

 

[gil1]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

 

[Hawk]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

STEW!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[catman529]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

tomatoes taste better than lettuce and spinach

Have you tried a homemade electric fence... a couple strands of stiff wire hooked to 110 volts AC might toast their hides a bit... also have you tried an air rifle?

 

[gil1]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

tomatoes taste better than lettuce and spinach

Have you tried a homemade electric fence... a couple strands of stiff wire hooked to 110 volts AC might toast their hides a bit... also have you tried an air rifle?

If it weren't for the squirrels, I could have both greens and tomatoes. You'd be surprised at how quickly the late-planted tomato plants catch up to the others. I'd get the same yield either way - just a couple weeks later. And I like greens more than maters anyway - but wifey is a tomato addict.

I've thought about the electric fence deal. I already have chicken wire around the garden held up by posts. I suppose I could just use those posts to support a heavy wire. It's a thought...

I killed a bunch last year with an air rifle, but others just took their place. I can't be there to patrol all the time.

 

[catman529]

I had a feeling shooting them would just let more come in. Happens here with the chipmunks lol

another option would be to set up a few of these

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3Ya6z-NlDo

 

[gil1]

Gotta love the tree rat catapult!

 

[pseshooter300]

Anyone ever heard the old saying if it thunders in Feb it will frost on that day in May?

 

[Homebrewer]

TONIGHT! Hopefully

 

[Wildcat]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

If you don't have room in the garden why don't you try Earthboxes? That's what I use, I have 3 Earthboxes and grow 6 tomato plants, they all reach over 6 feet high and there's enough tomatoes for 5 families though the summer.

This is what I'm talking about. You can put them anywhere. That woman is aroubnd 5 feet 6 inches the box she's holding on to has two tomato plants that have been growing a little over a month when the photo was taken.

 

[gil1]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

If you don't have room in the garden why don't you try Earthboxes? That's what I use, I have 3 Earthboxes and grow 6 tomato plants, they all reach over 6 feet high and there's enough tomatoes for 5 families though the summer.

This is what I'm talking about. You can put them anywhere. That woman is aroubnd 5 feet 6 inches the box she's holding on to has two tomato plants that have been growing a little over a month when the photo was taken.

Wow! Those plants are monsters!

 

[Wildcat]

you plant maters and peppers in june? Seems a bit late for me, some of my peppers don't kick in full production till late summer and I wouldn't plant maters later than early May.

Yeah, it's a bit unorthodox, but I don't have room for maters until the lettuces and spinach die. It seems to work out okay, except the squirrels ate my entire crop last year. I haven't figured out how to manage those little turds.

If you don't have room in the garden why don't you try Earthboxes? That's what I use, I have 3 Earthboxes and grow 6 tomato plants, they all reach over 6 feet high and there's enough tomatoes for 5 families though the summer.

This is what I'm talking about. You can put them anywhere. That woman is aroubnd 5 feet 6 inches the box she's holding on to has two tomato plants that have been growing a little over a month when the photo was taken.

Wow! Those plants are monsters!

Mine get that big sometimes.

The ones she's holding up is Burpee's Big Daddy hybirds. The ones behind her are Burpee's Brandy Boy hybird. I'm planting the same ones this year. Did you see in the picture that none of the tomatoes are ripe yet? They kept growing all summer and were larger than in the picture.

 

[catman529]

My tomatoes get that big but I don't support them to that height. I let them sprawl over the supports at about 5-6 feet tall. that is growing them in the ground not earthboxes. I've heard good about earthboxes and the DIY version called earthtainers.