Yay! I'm jealous, of course, but I am going to start seeds today on the window of Brandywine & I'm looking for Ark. Traveler too.
If I want to plant them in the ground earlier than the norm, should I warm up the ground with black plastic for awhile first? My intention is to cover them with milk cartons & hope that will work like little greenhouses. I plan to keep some inside for later too in case it doesn't work.
Then again, I've got all those kitty litter buckets too. I could do 3 trials: early in-ground, container & regular planting after frost

Patty,

On this forum, one of the earliest signs of spring is me planting tomatoes too early every year. : ) It keeps me entertained.

Warming up the ground with black plastic won't hurt and might help. The air temperature is important too, though, so don't talk yourself into planting too early if you don't have good day-time temperatures. With this early warm spell, it is easy to think we'll stay warm, but an early Feb. warm spell is often followed by very cold weather in late March and early April, so be cautious.

Milk jugs are too small to work for more than a month or so, depending on how quickly your soil and air temps. warm up, so keep in mind that the plant could quickly outgrow the milk jugs and have a back-up plan if cold weather returns after your plants are outgrowing their milk jugs.

As long as you have back-up plants, you can take more risks--that's one reason to raise your own from seed--you feel a little more free to push the limits knowing that you have back-up plants.

I'd do the three trials--it is the only way to figure out what will work best for you.

I raise a perfectly wonderful, and fairly early, crop in the ground but I STILL raise tomatoes and peppers in containers too....always pushing to get them a bit earlier, always pushing to try more varieties and extend the harvest--both earlier and later. Containers give me the flexibility to do some of those things and they should do the same for you.

Dawn