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May have been a little premature.....

15 years ago

Okay, so yesterday the temperature got into the mid-eighties, and I was pretty sweaty by the time I finished planting a bunch of new roses and bedding plants. Today, however~~~the temperature has dropped more than thirty degrees and we're looking at a light freeze tonight. Sigh. I just cannot wait to try to cover up all that vulnerable stuff, NOT. Oh yes I did know that a late freeze was possible, but all the gamblers aren't in Vegas. When is it totally safe for the rest of you to plant? Wouldn't it be like the first of June in the upper Midwest? Do you roll the dice, or wait more or less patiently?

Laura

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Comments (7)

sammy zone 7 Tulsa
15 years ago
Laurie, would you say where - about where? I thought Central Texas was where you were. I am in Tulsa 7A, but it is lower midwest.
Sammy
prairielaura
Original Author
15 years ago
True, Sammy, I'm btw Austin and Houston.
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morz8 - Washington Coast
15 years ago
Laura, I'm a cool summer 8b here and to be safest for those tender bedding plants like impatiens - Mothers Day. It's not common every year, but we've had frost on my neighbors May 1 birthday more than once.

Your 8b was in the 80's, this one had overnight snow this week :)
texaslynn
15 years ago
PL, I am located not too far from you.......straddling the zone 8/9 border, northwest of Houston. I have also planted a bunch of stuff and everything here has all kinds of lovely new growth. I think (referring to roses here)that it will all be ok, even with the forecast of close to freezing temperatures. It's an extended time at freezing temperatures that will "get" your stuff. I never cover any of my roses nor do I drag pots of roses in the garage and everything has always been fine (and my house sits in a very open location, really not much protection around).

I am hopeful that the temperature will simply dip down and not stay there! And why doesn't it rain anymore?! All we get are more drying winds - one day hot and dry and the next cold and dry.

It's all my tropicals in pots that I am going to have to drag inside again - sigh.
prairielaura
Original Author
15 years ago
Oh, yes. HOWLING winds today. My grandson asked me "Granny what is that noise?" meaning the whistle through the doorframe on the north side. And yesterday he and his brothers were swimming.
I think the wind probably does more damage than the frost will. Texas is a discouraging place to garden, if you are out on the actual prairie.
texaslynn
15 years ago
So funny.....I was going to comment on how I have been looking (from my windows!) at my plants blowing away out there today and you already mentioned it! Not much you can do about damaging winds - except watch in frustration! My dogs won't stop barking either....too much stuff blowing around and making racket and probably strange smells blowing in from North Dakota or somewhere far away......

Guess I better go work on folding the piles of clothes that have grown to mountainous proportions the last few days due to my working outside in the (previous) warm conditions. My family will appreciate that anyway!
Terry Crawford
15 years ago
Oh, Laura, I feel your pain! I've done the covering and uncovering more times than I want to remember. I'm not too far from Peoria, IL and our "safe" date for planting tender annuals is Mother's Day.

I have a huge bougainvilla tree that I have to lug in and out of the house each year on a dolly cart, and I took it out waay too early last year and had to drag it in and out of the garage. I don't care to repeat the experience; my back was sore for quite a while. And then a spring storm blew up and the high winds stripped off all the leaves on one side of the poor tree. This year I'll be more careful and leave it in the house until late May, I think!
-terry

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