Crud! I just looked at the weather and it looks like I'll be bringing in my seedlings tomorrow night. We had a warm spell in April which I think spoiled us; followed by a cold snap the beginning of last week. I just got all my seedlings back out on Thursday. Sunday's low is going to be 34 degrees.

I don't know how to let the agencies that be know that their last frost date isn't accurate. It seems more and more that these things are more of a suggestion rather than the norm. Last year I could have planted out in March & been fine. A few years prior I had my plants out Memorial Day weekend and lost a lot of them to a frost.

I said the he!! with it last night. All my tomato starts and peppers went back under the lights in my furnace room. I started bring them out when we got that patch of really warm weather and thought I'd just bring them back in during the bad weather and every night has been too cold. I'll pull them back up in 2 weeks and start the process all over again. I hope to have them in the ground at the very end of May.

Melissa

Yea,....
I am thinking that you folks in the eastern part of the zone are seeing the effects of the HUGE system that exited here yesterday. I believe there was cold arctic air and perhaps a cold front trailing it. After a fire in the fireplace last night, middle 70's today. If this pleasent airmass we have today follows, you all in NY should get some nice temps soon.
More thunderstorms are headed here this week and I see they have changed the forcast to have the most severe just south of our watch area.
I may just chance it and plant today. Stable spring temps have to arrive soon!!!

I'm planted out on toms as of yesterday. Everybody looks happy.

Lowest low forecasted for the next 10 days is 43F, lowest high is 60. Mostly lows in the upper 40s+ Highs in the lower 70s-. Soil temp at 2" were in the 50s to upper 50s. Storms could ruin my day but the last one looked bad and was nearly a non event. I know it wasn't that way for some R.I.P.

Nearly half are in pots which can be protected if necessary and one reserve held for each variety.

Pushing some I suppose but it can go from spring to summer here quickly sometimes. The plants were starting to get big for that many and farmers almanac rec or not, sometimes you have to do things when you can.

Planted a bunch of other stuff today too. I know it was probably too early for the beans but in they went. Last yr cut worms got every one of two plantings of Edamame. The blackeyed peas were fine but the butter beans barely had time to make one nice mess. I'll let the coming rains water them in.

I'd rather replant than waste the space and tending all season on something that doesn't have time to make.

We'll be eating spinich and lettuce in days I think and the broccoli and brussels are doing fine, the zucchini and honey dews had to go in.

Windclimber- I am glad to see I am not the only one in Kansas who is annoyed at the weather. I live north of Clay Center Kansas. About 2.5 hours west of you.

For the past 3 years, I have had my whole garden just about planted by May 1. This year, I have hardly nothing.

I did plant out all most all my tomatoes. They were ready to go out two weeks ago! They were getting really tall.

I pulled the trigger and planted them last Tuesday, April 30. Then the wind picked up. 20-30 mph for about 3 days straight. Then the frost last night. Most of them look very wind beat, and battered. I spent two plus hours protecting them from the frost. We made it through. Some look a little rough, but not any worse than before! The temp got down to 30.2. Some how, I was able to cover up 124 tomato plants! It looked like a trash dump exploded in my garden! I had pop bottles, milk jugs, plastic covered 3 gallon pots, sheets, towels, blankets, buckets, heck I even used 6 55 gallon trash cans!, lots of plastic bags and tarps! I was lucky I had enough stuff.

I still have 180 peppers to go out. I am going to wait another week! Then I have squash, cucumbers, okra, eggplant, watermelon, canteloupe, beans, sweet corn. It is going to take several long weekends and weeknights to get it all in. Usually I stagger things, but this year it is going to be all at once!

When are you planting out stuff? It sounds like rain all this week.

Good Luck!
Jay

LOL:
I have had my garden look the same Jay.
I have always tried to be planted out by April 15th. Sometimes pushing the envelope to get fruit before 4th of July. As if that was some magic date.
Always seems I have some type of event that either causes loss, or lots of stress and work. Seems to me,... in it for profit or not.... those are three items that need to be cut down on .. at all costs.
The Old Farmers Almanac I use like a schoolbook, along with people with the experience of years growing tomatoes.

After study hour (grin) including reading Carolyns post I concluded patience needs to prevail.
May 15th, Ive got other stuff to do too.

Another KS gardener here. Windclimber, I am in W. Johnson County, I'm guessing you must be somewhere in this vicinity? And Jrslick, I actually grew up in Washington County, so I am familiar with your area too. Still have family in that area. The weather up there seems tougher than E. Kansas. Wind especially is much harsher.

I am in the same boat--my tomato starts are overly tall and gangly since this crappy weather has prevented me from hardening them off. I've run out of room under the lights since I have started transplanting to bigger containers. Usually I can leave things out overnight on my porch, but can't this year until maybe this week as it appears the temperature will permit it. I haven't planted out yet, but usually would have at least a few out by now. I tend to hedge my bets, and do a few at a time. I have some Early Girl, Early Challenge, Celebrity, and Ildi plants that are almost ready to go. The rest just got transplanted this weekend and hopefully, will get them hardened off this week. The irony of it all is that I garden around my kids schedules now and don't always get garden tasks done when I want to, but this year, I actually started everything on time and have plants the right size when I would normally be ready for them but the weather isn't ready yet.

ksflower:
I know thw the drill, life presents challenges:)
I still remember our little one eating mud while sitting in the garden in diapers!
Few really knows the challenge Jay has with wind in north central KS. I have found growing tomatoes and working in the power generation industry to conflict. but it has been the same with fishing ..... I find a way!!!!
Being over here on the state line, the weather should be the same. Don't be afraid to harden off outside , mine have been outside everyday except when weather threatens.
Getting tall too but the breezes are good for making the main stem stocky, and thats the hiway for everything to the fruit trusses!!!!

Tom

KSFlowerGirl and Tom- I am glad someone else understands my pain! I knew I should wait, but I am a teacher and have 3 kids under six. I had a window and I had to take it. They will be set back, but I know they will pull through! They were hardened off, but that didn't help.

To top everything else off, I live on top of a hill and have no windblock. Most days you can see 30 miles to the west, 20 to the north, 20 to the south and 20 to the east. I have had 30-50 mph wind gusts and I sustained winds. It can be crazy sometimes, but I wouldn't change it for the world.

More pictures of my raised bed

Purple Prince

Box Car Willie

You can see the GS red mulch and the feed tubing to the irrigation loop (under the mulch)

Bluemater,.. looks like your plants thrive, how long have you had them out in wall-o-waters? and does that color absolutly help in the matter of the mator?
No offense, but it looks like a buffet for pink flamingos. I have thought of trying this method. Have they been through any severe weather?

windclimber...LOL! They do look awfully pink but that's the camera's distortion...they're actually orangy-red...

I've used them for awhile now and it does protect them very well though if they grow above the teepees (which they will if planted early enough) you have to cover them or the tops of the maters will get wilted if you have frost...

The tomatoes in the pictures were put in on April 21st (started from seed on March 1st) which extends my season by 3 weeks...I have used the teepees to extend by the full 6 weeks in the past and it really does...I just didn't have my raised bed amended early enough to plant them in March...

As for the red color, it has been shown in university studies that the growth and yield of tomato plants will increase by 20%...the link below will take you to the GS webpage that sells the red mulch and explains its effect in detail...

Here's another picture of my raised bed -- I can't say enough about growing in deep raised beds! I used to plant directly in the ground when I had the space but nothing beats raised beds as far as I'm concerned -- the soil heats up faster, it requires much less watering and you have total control over your soil composition...btw, notice the "attack poodle" guarding the bed from behind the screen door! She's my secret weapon against squirrels ruining my tomatoes in the summer!

Here is a link that might be useful: Red Mulch Info

It seems there was some discussion about the color red here some time back.

The thought of getting the plants out earlier, really appeals to me, as I have done it in the past,.... only guessing and second guessing nature.
Being as there is definetly something naturally, and disdinctly occuring with the seasons and the weather, it's been increasingly difficult. When I have the time it's really kinda challenging.
The wow look like a good solution for at least some of the crop, Maybe next year!!

My daughter woke up at 5:30 this morning. Not totally but enough for me to have to go in there to settle her. (If not she will wake RIGHT up and be ready to party and grouchy the rest of the day.) So anyway as I was in her room I peeked out the blinds and saw >gaspSo there I was racing the sun up the hill to the garden and sprinkling water on my tenders before the first rays hit them. They are fine. :o)
So what could have been a huge grumble, being woken up at 5:30 turned out to be a blessing.

Our severe weather season (hail, heavy rains, wind and possible tornados)didn't historically occur in earnest until June. This part of the country gets boughts of strong fronts and converging patterns tho all spring. Usually the freezing temps are long gone by May. (fingers crossed)
Morel mushrooms, crappie,and planting out while watching the color explosion of the trees and understorys....... aahhh Spring!!!!
Summer can bring heavy stuff also. Good idea about the water, triple....hope it helped! I am resigned to waiting until about the 15th due to schedule at work mainly and I wanted to plant out between the new and full moon this year. Would have liked to do it last month tho.... OH well :

Tom

If you're following the other thread regarding cycles of the moon and frost, you may wish to wait until after the full moon on the night of the 19th/morning of the 20th.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

I'll probably put plants in the ground next weekend, regardless. I like to live dangerously. :)

Pushing the envelope is a big part of gardening ;o)

it's cold and wet in this part of zone 5 today. i've got 8 tomatoes out and am holding the rest until it is a little closer to last frost date.

i have a few cucumber plants and squash seed in the garden, too.

we'll see what the full moon brings.

my mail order tomatoes are going to ship from Alabama on the 20th. that should get them here at just the right time to go in the dirt.

Wow, Juuusst missed us here.
Winds all night exceeding wind advisory levels, gusts to 40 mph. Power out from 10:30 to 6:00. Not that the mators would need power but winds like that are perilous.
Hope all are well in the path of that storm from Ark. to MN. Scary stuff and the season is only underway.
This has been a most different spring!
Checked the ground temp 6" down about a week ago....56 degrees. Seriously was thinking about planting. Usually in shortly after Easter, with a slight chance for frost and then hail and wind. Think I have a plan for the hail and the critters but this season it's like dodging them all , wind, hail, torrential rain, tornado's, freezing temps frost,........ each week. AARGGH.
Can't be too hard on ole Mother Nature tho , it is Mother's Day after all :)

i lied (kinda). we had a storm blow through last night. my trees are still standing and the tomatoes i had out are only a little wind blown.

it was warm enough to get me out of the house by noon. i couldn't help but garden and put in about a half dozen more tomato plants, asparagus bean seed, and a row of spinach.

i still have few enough tomatoes out that i can protect them overnight withough much effort!

I started my tomatoes in my areogarden on March 16th. They grew to fast, Big and healthy plaints, and were transferred in to 16 oz. beer cups on April 7th with MG moisture control. On April 13th the Toms were planted in the raised beds . I used Burpee wall of waters, by the way far superior to the original IMHO. Today the plants are starting to flower out. I just hope the weather holds?
Beans, peas, potatoes, and the rest are up and growing.
If you are in the Lincoln, NE area, give me a call if you would like to take a look. John 435-8932

just a few miles away!

i'll give you a call some time.

i tried walls-o-water once. over watered inside the walls, the walls collapsed, spilled the wall water on to the already over watered plants, had to dig my muddy damaged plants out of the walls and mud.

it was ugly. smashed plants, me foaming at the mouth and eyes showing only white!! ....too traumatic to relive!!

now i plant a little later and envy those with tomatoes ripe earlier than mine.

Another weekend of weird weather. I had hoped to plant a few tomatoes, but like Windclimber, we had the crazy 40+mph winds Saturday afternoon through noon on Sunday, so I took my tomatoes, which had been hardening-off on the porch, inside until this morning. We also got 3/4" of rain on Saturday, and so I wait again. The weather is going to be on the cool side again this week, still not good tomato growing conditions, so I guess I haven't lost much.

Jonbro
I use beer cups too. white plastic from Walmart. Cheap and easy to write on and a really nice size. Deepish for roots to grow in. After I move them outside to harden off, I wonder if I should buy a big sleeve of the same kinds of cups in red next year, see if it works like wall-o-waters? Not the insulating part but the color factor?

Good to see all the midwestners and Kansans on here. I'm in the same boat as the rest of you. I have commented elsewhere the last 2 years have been way off normal here. After the light frost and bringing in all plants I couldn't get in the cold frame the long range showed the lowest for 10 days of 46. So started finishing up the potting I had started because I had no more room under the lights. Had over 300 plants outside and around a 100 inside under lights. Starting Friday morning they stated saying 35-36 Sunday morning. I had too many to try to bring in. I delivered some to their new owners early and put the others that was outside the cold frame next to cedar trees or under a carport. I thought they would be fine. Did spray around 11 pm Saturday night. When I got up it said it had been 35-36 for 4 hours. But there was frost. And hurt a few. Then 93 today. I'm heading out now to start dropping them in. No turning back now. Would of been better off in the ground with buckets around them Sunday morning. I've finished potting up. Peppers are hardening off and will be a week before they start going in. I like the soil to be warmer before they go. Late last week the soil here was 60. We had a 90 degree day last week. And will be 71 for a high tomorrow. I planted a few direct winter sown seeds this winter. They look great. Even had removed the tops and they came through fine. The firs emerged Arpil 2nd. And the biggest is a thick stemmed 7" right now. But of course no hardening off and no transplant shock. If they produce as well I will be doing at least 1/3 to 1/2 of my 80 plants this way next year. Have to cheat mother nature when I can. I'm trying to find a method I can use on 40-80 plants. Don't want that many wall o waters. Hope everyone has a great gardening week. Better go put mine out in the 40 mph wind. They will get a bucket for protection as they go in. JD

Think I have finally conceded :
NOOA has downgraded the forcast. Looks as if the poss weather comeing thru this eve might be just rainshowers . It kinda feels that way too. Right between the new gravitational pull and the full.....hmmmm
Plant when you can!!!:)

Another windblown Kansan here.

Most of my tomatoes and a few peppers went outside for the duration this evening. They have gotten too tall to fit under my lights, and I am tired of carrying them in and out and trying to keep them from rolling down my driveway when the wind blows them out of the trays I use.

I built a wind shelter to park them in. I used the remains of a small greenhouse that was destroyed by a 75-80 mph wind last fall. It is only 2' high, and open on top, so they should experience and get accustomed to the not-so-"great outdoors" we have been getting the last 5-6 years. They will be very "hardened-off" or dead in a few days. If they survive, I hope to plant them next weekend. If they don't, I still have a couple of trays still small enough to fit under my lights, that are still getting carried in and out every day.

Tom

Got five in last evening. Going to try to take tomorrow off and put in a bunch if I don't have to head to Wichita. The wind is blowing this morning and only supposed to be low 60's today after 93 yesterday. Go figure.
Yes Tom I've experienced exactly what you have. But with over 400 plants I had moved several out for good a week ago. When I delivered the ones last week told the people they were hardened off for anything. The wind isn't hurting thein now. They do have some protection. Hopefully we will get some rain in the next two days. Hopefully the rest of the season will go well for all of us. JD

WOW, I am so glad I am the only one who is not frusterated with this weather.

As I said before, I planted out on April 30. Avoided the frost/freeze several says later. Then the plants have lived through a week of 30+ mph wind. We were even talking about wind chill on Saturday night!

I could not wait. The plants were too tall! I don't think I lost any, except the extra ones that I didn't care for as much. I have 90+ out some are just a stem with a few leaves. I walked through them this morning and they are putting out new leaves and flowering. That is encouraging.

I am going to try to put out peppers this week. They are getting big too! I picked a hot banana (1 inch long) last week!

My Hoop building tomatoes are doing great! They are blooming away, but no tomatoes yet. I am shaking the plants twice daily and the wind sure is blowing!

Funny thing about the hoop building. The wind destroyed a building 1.5 miles straight south of me. My plastic hoop building is fine. Go figure! I guess I build things very strong!

Here is to better weather!

Jay

you build things very strong and I believe Ma Nature has bi-polar these days. She is currently on one of her 'lows'.

so far everything in the garden is living. one tomato got twisted around in the wind and looked like a goner, but is still trying!

triple b.
The Red cups or for Red Beers only. I don't think that they will help you unless you have a few while you are doing your transplanting. This weather really sucks. I'm just about ready to knit covers for my plants.
Stay safe, To All of us are living in tornado alley.

Severe weather to our south, so holding off again. These systems can lift and change. Seems as if things long range are looking up.
Hope to get some in tommorrow and then this weekend.

If the wind can't get under the hoop house Jay...it should do fine. Same kind of principle as the teepee's the Lakota Souix used. It kinda blew up to it and dispersed around it. Nothing for the wind to really get ahold of.

My structure survived all of the recent blasts around here because the wind blows through it as the roof consists of narrow diameter bamboo poles lashed together at the top, with bird netting ziptied to them. Galvanized cattle panels w/ four inch squares, covered with poultry netting make up the sides. Again nothing for the wind to get a hold of and whip or push against.

Recent studies of tornados find the garage doors to be the weakest link in a house.
It blows down the large surface area of door then lifts into the house iether exploding it or exerting whatever forces are present to wreak havoc.

Tom

21 in now including the five direct sown ones. Ran out of time. Saying a good chance of storms tomorrow and tomorrow night. Hopefully we will get the rain. I have buckets around them so unless it is a bad hail should be fine. Think they are hardened off for anything now. LOL. The ones I set out under the carport have some windburned leaves. The ones setting out in the open that have been out for ten days look fine. They have survived so can't see sticking them in the ground will hurt. Only 50's the next two days but lows mid 40's. Hopefully the rest of you can get your hands in the dirt in the next few days. I'm taking off Thursday for some serious planting unless it is too wet. I'm in deep sand so it takes a lot before I can't work in the garden.
Tom hope the storms miss you. Maybe you can get yours in soon. I will wait to Memorial day to put peppers in. I think if you wait till it is warmer they do better. Will have them all hardened off by then. JD